


Not a Simple Ghost Story

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, BAMF Rose Tyler, Donna is married to Lee, F/M, Flirting, Ghosts, John is really into Rose, Spirits, Victorian Attitudes, courtship kind of, just FYI
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:23:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: Rose Tyler has an uncanny sense of the spirit world and uses it to her advantage to accept jobs from wealthy neighbors who see her findings in journals and papers.  When Dr. John Smith calls her about a spirit in his very new estate, the presence of a ghost is rather troubling.  The presence of John Smith in her life troubles her even more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY so Natariya suggested "A feisty Rose in the Victorian era; maybe Revolutionary France? with hauntings happening" as my next Victorian story and I squealed and got to work on it right away! ((I love ghosts)) While it did not end up in Revolutionary France, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

 

Rose’s services were needed all through the city, and though her parents disapproved, she couldn’t very well turn her own daughter out on the street.  It was run under the table, which meant that sometimes more unsavory characters sometimes filtered through the Tyler estate. She was not a lady of the night, or anything nearly as inappropriate, but the jobs she did were not ladylike at all.  

She was  _ clever,  _ more clever than any woman had a right to be, in the opinion of most men, which was why Rose was twenty and not yet engaged.  She read books for leisure instead of sewing, and engaged in political debates at her parent’s social events. It drove most men away from her, and while it bothered her slightly, she had decided long ago that she wouldn’t bottle up any part of herself for a man.  And while she was lonely, she stuck to it. 

“Miss Tyler, you have correspondence from a ‘John Smith’?” The Tyler’s butler, Jack Harkness, set a letter in front of Rose at breakfast.  “Do you know this man, Miss? If you’ll pardon my asking.” 

Rose took the letter and shook her head, “No, Jack, I do not.  He must just be another customer.”

“Oh, Rose, how I despise all your talk of ghosts and investigations,” Rose’s mother lamented, sighing heavily.  “You must know how ridiculous it sounds.”

“I do not find my work foolish, mother,” Rose replied primly.  “I help people investigate what they  _ assume  _ could be spirits.  More often than not, they are not spirits at all.”  She smiled at Jack, “Thank you, Jack.”

Jack gave a short bow and hurried from the room, not wanting to get caught up in another family argument.  Rose looked after him wistfully, wishing she could run out of this situation as well. 

“Rose, would you mind reading the correspondance out loud?” her father, Peter Tyler, said softly.  He was a soft spoken man with a very tender heart, and all he really wanted was for his wife and his daughter to be happy.  

Rose smoothed her hand down the fine cream fabric of her dress, brushing a wrinkle out of it.  “If that is what you wish,” she responded, knowing far better than to deny her parents. She opened the letter carefully, breaking the wax seal gently.  It was clearly someone of standing, for them to have such a lovely seal. 

She unfolded the letter and held it in front of her.  “‘Esteemed Miss Tyler, I am writing to you because I have heard of your experience with spirits.  I live in a fairly new house, but I am concerned that there is some sort of spirit living inside it with me.  I would like for you to come and see me at my home to investigate. My sister will be present as well, so it will be completely proper.  By the time this letter reaches you, it should be the day before the seventeenth of June. If you can arrive at this address on the twentieth at seven, I would very much appreciate it.  The activity does not start until the nighttime. Sincerely, Dr. John Smith’.” Rose looked to her parents. “He seems serious.”

“You do not  _ know  _ this man,” Rose’s mother griped in a very unladylike tone.  “His sister may not even be there, and you shall be in danger!”

Rose blinked.  “Well, mother, I think this should be fine.  I will take Jack with me, if it is of concern to you.  But I do not think anything bad should happen.”

“I think we should trust Rose,” Peter said carefully, laying his hand over his wife’s.  “Nothing unpleasant has ever happened to Rose before when she has gone on these appointments. And I think we all trust Jack enough to keep our daughter safe.”

Rose looked to her mother, trying to make sure her eyes were not too pleading.  She knew that she needed to go, that this was something important, but if her mother begged her to stay, she knew she would have to.

Jackie sighed and looked helplessly to her husband.  “Oh,  _ fine.   _ But you must know that I do not approve!”

Rose smiled. “I would expect nothing less, mother.”  

************

Rose and Jack arrived at the appropriate time, and Rose was surprised when there was already a man waiting on the steps. 

“Excuse me, my lady, but do you think that is Dr. Smith?”

“I would suspect it,” Rose said, squinting slightly.  It was a sizable estate, which led Rose to believe that he might have been born into a rather wealthy family, or he had come into a large sum.  

“He is, pardon me, my lady, very attractive.  Perhaps-”

“Jack, no,” Rose snapped. “I am not investigating the spirit in his home to hope to secure a marriage.”

Jack bowed his head.  “I’m sorry, Miss Tyler, I overstepped my bounds.”

“You hardly ever overstep your bounds, Jack. You’re a friend, not simply our butler.  Now, come, escort me out of the carriage so we can see what lives in this man’s home.”

Jack scrambled out of the carriage and held his hand out for her.  Rose gathered the enormous skirts of her green skirts in one hand and settled her other hand in Jack’s, letting him lead her down the steps without slipping.  

The man at the top of the steps was undoubtedly lovely.  Rose looked up and found that their eyes met easily, as though they had been drawn to each other.  HIs eyes were dark and wide, matching his hair, which was unlike the style of the men in the city. It was tousled and perfectly unkept, but in a way that was so rebellious that Rose found herself intrigued by it.  She looked to Jack and nodded slightly. He took her arm and led her up the stairs, waving to the carriage driver that he could leave. 

Once they reached the top of the wide steps, Dr. Smith took Rose’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. 

“My lady,” he nodded, eyes still fixed on her.  “I… Well, I presume you are Rose Tyler.”

“Yes,” Rose inclined her head.  “This is my butler, Jack Harkness.  It was only proper that he accompany me.”  

“Of course,” Dr. Smith nodded, finally releasing Rose’s gloved hand.  “My sister is inside as well, and tea is being prepared for us. I know it is late, it shall keep us awake until you are to return home.”

Rose smiled mischievously at him and dropped Jack’s arm.  “Dr. Smith, is seven in the evening is late for you, I fear you are no fun at all.”

Dr. Smith smiled back at her, the first smile she had seen from him, and shook his head.  “I suppose I am no fun, Miss Tyler. I do hope that will not be a problem.”

“The spirit in your home will keep me company enough,” Rose replied primly, turning her head to glance back at Jack. He nodded, his own way of showing her that he did not see anything wrong with Dr. Smith.  Jack Harkness, despite his loose nature, was an excellent judge of character, and never seemed to be incorrect in his first impressions about anyone. 

Dr. Smith offered his arm to Rose and she took it, feeling quite safe with John right behind her.  He led her into his estate, which was quite sizable and lovely. She was led into the drawing room, and Jack split off from them upon seeing a red haired woman also sitting in the room.  Rose exchanged a nod with him, acknowledging that he was going to find the other servants. He would not be permitted in the drawing room.

“Ah, Miss Tyler, this is my sister, Mrs. Donna McAvoy.  Her married name, of course.” Dr. Smith gestured to his sister, and the women bobbed curtsies to one another.  Donna’s red hair was pulled up into a slightly elaborate, and since it was much thicker than Rose’s, she looked regal.  Rose found herself feeling a bit self conscious in front of such a powerful looking woman, but tried not to let it get to her. 

“It is very nice to meet you, Miss Tyler.  My brother has read your journals on the things you have seen and heard and finds them quite extraordinary.”

Rose nodded.  “Thank you, Mrs. McAvoy.  I am pleased you do not find my inappropriate, as my parents do.”

“Certainly not, we find you intriguing,” Dr. Smith said, looking down at her.  

Rose released his arm and moved to seat herself.  Mrs. McAvoy and Dr. Smith followed suit, watching her for their cues.  She was the guest in the house, after all. 

“Ah.  So, you must tell me about the spirit you believe to be in your home,” Rose said, folding her hands together, wishing she could remove her gloves, sod propriety altogether.  “You did not give much information in the letter you sent to me.”

Dr. Smith rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhat uncomfortable.  “Yes, ahem. Well, you see, Miss Tyler, I was in a rush to get my correspondence to you as quickly as possible, and I was not even sure you would read it if you received it.”

Just then, a manservant entered with a tea service, setting it down on the table in between the three.  There was silence as they were each served a cup and arranced it the way they liked. 

When the manservant was gone, Rose smiled a bit as she brought the teacup to her lips.  “Well, you overestimate the number of people that write to me, Dr. Smith. I find your optimism in my number of correspondence flattering.”

“Flattering it may be, Miss Tyler, but I believe it is in my favor that you not receive too much.  Otherwise, you would have hardly been able to arrive here to see to the spirit in my home.” Dr. Smith looked very satisfied with his answer, and a bit smug too.

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. “Then perhaps you shall tell me about the spirit in your home, instead of using inane attempts at flirtation.”

Mrs. McAvoy, who was taking a sip of her tea, promptly snorted into it.  She lowered her cup and placed her hand in front of her mouth. “Very sorry,” She said politely, “I have never heard anyone speak to my brother in such a way. You can do so any time you like.”

Rose laughed with Mrs, McAvoy and looked back to Dr. Smith, who was not looking at her with anger or upset as any other man might, but with intrigue.  She smiled at him and nodded as if to tell him to get on with it.

“Right, of course,” Dr. Smith took a sip of his tea. “I noticed it when I inherited this estate from my Uncle about a year ago. It has just been built, so there seemed to be no reason for anything to be living inside it except for me and the servants who continue living here.  But we are all experiencing things that go bump in the night.” He shivered a bit, as though a gust of cold air had passed over him, but Rose felt nothing at all.

“Where is the affected area, Dr. Smith?”

“The library.”

“I should like to see it,” Rose said firmly, deciding the whole thing right then.  No one could argue with her since they had invited her, after all. They all finished their tea before walking to the library.

Rose tried very hard to contain her wonder when it came to the beautiful estate, but doing so was very difficult indeed.  There were crystal chandeliers seemingly at every turn, and carpet on every floor. It was lovely in a way that would make any woman wish she was the lady of the house.  Rose herself was not immune to such desires, and found herself wistfully running her fingers along the cherry wood of a railing at the bottom of the stairs. 

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Mrs. McAvoy whispered as Dr. Smith walked ahead of them, leading the way.  

“It is.”

“I almost wish our uncle had left it to me, but seeing as I am married, I have no use for it.  Still though, nice to pretend.”

“I agree,” Rose said, offering the other woman a smile, “I have never seen a house so beautiful.

Mrs. McAvoy was far less intimidating as their walk to the library went on.  She was charming and very witty, and in some ways very similar to Rose herself.  

“Ah, and here we are!” Dr. Smith reached double mahogany doors and pushed them open.  Rose felt a gust of cold air and stepped back, pressing her gloved hand to her now heaving chest. 

“What is it?” Dr. Smith asked, concerned.

“Do you not feel that?” She whispered fiercely, wondering how a man could not feel such a strong presence in his own home.

“No,” he shook his head, his brow drawing together.  “I do not.”

Rose entered the room, feeling drawn to it even as her heart pounded in her chest.  The cold settled away, as though whatever lived in this room had lashed out in anger and then realized that she was not a threat. 

“Shall we fetch something to call upon the spirit with?” Mrs. McAvoy asked.

“No!  You must never do that,” Rose spun around, her skirts flaring around her and settling back as her eyes darted between her hosts.  “The last thing you should  _ ever  _ do is invite a spirit into your home.  It could be evil.” She looked over her shoulder into the library once more. “I should like to venture in further, Dr. Smith, but you must know… Your home has another guest besides me, and it is one that does not plan on leaving.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoo, so this is getting a little more story heavy than I intended, so rest assured John and Rose will get in some fluff before their second meeting about the spirit.

 

Dr. Smith blanched and looked to his sister, who had taken a step back from the door.  Rose, on the other hand, was not afraid. She turned away from Dr. Smith and Mrs. McAvoy and looked deeper into the library.  It was dark, so she started to look around for an oil lamp to light her way.

Dr. Smith noticed what she was after and rushed to the side of the room, lighting a couple rather large oil lamps and handing one to her with a little bow. 

“Thank you,” Rose took it from him and started to look about the room. There were points, as she always noticed in her line of work, where the air was colder.  She settled in those areas, and, in a very unladylike fashion, sat on the floor, her back straight. Pushing her skirts to the floor, she sat still, waiting to feel something.  

“Miss Tyler?” Dr. Smith offered, calling from across the room.

“You can come here if you like, Dr. Smith.  I feel something.”

She heard his footsteps approach her and he sat on the floor with her.  Mrs. McAvoy entered the room as well and sat on Rose’s other side, not seeming to care about propriety too much. 

Rose closed her eyes and focused on the air around her. She was quite good at feeling energies, and she could feel Dr. Smith’s warm kindness and the simmering fire of Mrs. McAvoy. She smiled a little, thinking that she was going to like them very much.  

Pushing that thought away, she focused in on what she was feeling.  The chill in the air was growing, and Rose was very careful not to invite anything into the home.  She set her hands on the floor in front of her, feeling energy crawl up from the ground and into her skin.  She inhaled deeply and tilted her head back, feeling the one tendril curl that was loose from her updo touching her back.  There was something here, certainly, but Rose was having a difficult time discerning what exactly it was. She could not feel evil or good, demon or ghost.  All she knew was that there was  _ something  _ here.  What it was might remain hidden, and the spirit probably wanted it that way. 

“It hides,” Rose said, furrowing her brows.  “It hides from me.”

“Why would it hide?” Mrs. McAvoy asked softly, “Shouldn’t it come to you for help?  Or- something, I-”

Rose made a sound in her throat.  “I have never experienced anything like this,” she admitted.  “It lashed out when you opened the doors, and now it hides, and I cannot explain why.  I can feel  _ something,  _ but it hides what it is from me.”

Mrs. McAvoy shifted, her skirts rustling.  “This is… This is very unsettling, Miss Tyler.”

“I agree with you, Mrs. McAvoy,” Rose replied, furrowing her brow as she listened for something.  There was nothing, no whispers in the air, no words at all. Rose curled her fingers into the carpeting, trying to hear or get in touch with it.  But still, it cowered from her. She could still  _ feel  _ it, and sense that something was here in this room, living here.

“I do not feel anything,” Dr. Smith whispered suddenly into the still air.

“Feel that chill in your bones?” Rose said softly, tilting her head towards Dr. Smith.  She could hear him breathing, could sense the worry in him. “The sense that something else is here? That is the spirit.”

“I- I  do feel cold,” he said, “I have never... “

Rose opened her eyes and looked to him.  Sweat was beading on his forehead, his brow drawn together in concentration.  Foregoing propriety, she reached over and touched his shoulder. He jerked, his eyes flying open and turning to stare at her.  Fear lit his eyes and she moved to get to her feet. He scrambled up first and pulled her and then Mrs. McAvoy to their feet.

“I’m sorry,” He said, “I was… That was a bit frightening.”  He ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up even more than before.  Rose offered him a comforting smile, lacing her fingers together in front of her. 

“The first experience with a spirit can be frightening,” Rose reassured him.  “Mrs. McAvoy, did you feel anything?”

The woman shook her head, concern marring her brow.  “No, I felt nothing,” she admitted. “Is that bad?”

“Not at all.  It seems your brother is a bit more in tune to it than you are, that’s all.”  Rose smiled. “Dr. Smith, do you still feel it?”

“No,” he shook his head.

“Ah, but your focus was remarkable,” Rose said, shaking her skirts out and moving deeper into the library.  She held her hands out, hoping something would come to touch her or move past her at least. But she could not feel anything besides the chill, which lessened the deeper she went into the library.  

She turned around and found herself nose to nose with Dr. Smith.  She felt her jaw drop a little at his closeness but quickly shut it once more and brought herself to her full height.  “Dr. Smith, I do believe you were right to have concerns about this room, something is surely here.”

Dr. Smith swallowed and peered above her head, but did not say more or step away from her.  “And what do you suggest I do, Miss Tyler?”

“Well, I shall not invite the spirit into the physical world, but I would like to have a chat with it,” she said, stepping away from him, as she was growing warm with his closeness.  

“How?” he seemed genuinely curious now, and Rose suddenly wondered where his sister had got off to.  She turned around to see Mrs. McAvoy poking about near the front of the room. Rose was not sure if she would feel anything up there, but it was worth it to spread out since she was searching near the back.

Dr. Smith’s curiosity was radiating off of him, she could practically feel it, but she was not quite ready to answer any more of his questions.  She brushed past dusty books, pushing further into the darkness. The feeling seemed to lessen the further back she got, and she stopped her movement suddenly, causing Dr. Smith to bump into her, let out an undignified squeak and apologized profusely for touching her. 

“Dr. Smith, your spirit is afraid of the dark.”

He cut off his apologies and frowned.  “Pardon me, Miss Tyler, but what?”

“The feelings I get when I feel the spirit are nearly gone here,” Rose explained, “Do you feel it?”

He paused and pressed a hand to his chest. “Yes, I’m not nearly as cold as I was before.”

Rose nodded, feeling an odd sense of joy that for the first time, someone was feeling her emotions about these spirits in the same way that she was.  She smiled at him. “Yes, that is what I felt too. It wants to be in the light.”

“Is that odd?”

“A bit.”

“You know, Miss Tyler, some might call you a witch.”

“Some call me worse than that,” she retorted, “If I cared what others thought of me, I would have stopped doing this a long time ago.”  She turned away from him to keep searching about but paused to look over her shoulder, a flirtatious tone in her voice. “Besides, they might have called you a witch too.”

“Oh!  I doubt it.” 

Rose continued her search, looking through everything else, trying to shuffle through everything to find any wisp of the spirit, but it did not return until she reached the front of the room.  She felt the cold touch her face once more and sighed heavily, feeling the feeling start to crawl into her chest. She clapped her hand over her collarbone. 

“No!” She said firmly, “You are not allowed inside my body, or anybody else’s as well.  I will help you, I promise, but not if you try to hurt anyone here.” The feeling left her and she sagged.  Dr. Smith grabbed her by the elbow to keep her upright, and Mrs. McAvoy rushed to her side to pull her up by the waist.  Rose leaned on Mrs. McAvoy, as of course, it was far more appropriate to do so. 

“Come on, dear, let’s get you another cup of tea.”  Mrs. McAvoy led Rose out of the room and back to where they had all met before.  SHe sat down heavily and Dr. Smith sat across from her, looking intently at her. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, “It… The spirit did not do any damage to you, did it?” 

Mrs.McAvoy hurried from the room to fetch the manservant and a new fresh pot of tea.  Rose wanted to get up off of the couch and follow her, but stayed back, trying not to let Dr. Smith’s piercing gaze bother her. 

“Dr. Smith, you are staring.”

“Yes, I am.  You turned very pale, Miss Tyler, and I have never seen a human being turn that shade.”

Rose smiled. “And you are a Doctor, so that must be saying something.”

He forced a tight smile back to her. “So… What shall we do?”

“With the spirit?” She asked, feeling the need for clarification, since he was so close to her.

He nodded. “Yes.  I want to know how to get that spirit out of my house.”

She sat up a bit straighter, adjusting the tight material of the dress around her waist.  It suddenly felt like it was constricting her, that and her corset, holding her very close.  She coughed and inhaled deeply, trying to clear that feeling from her head. 

“I would like to have an overnight stay,” she said, “Not tonight, but one when I can figure out what to do, and how to set things up to perhaps trap it.”  She rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt. “I should like you and Mrs. McAvoy to be there as well. It would not be good for me to be alone there, and perhaps Jack could come as well.”

As though summoned by his own name, Jack came in the room with Mrs. McAvoy and Dr. Smith’s manservant, who was holding a tea service.  Jack knelt down next to her where she sat and looked up at her, searching her face. 

“Miss Tyler, are you alright?  I thought I should go with you, but when Mrs. McAvoy said you turned white, I had a very bad feeling.”

Rose smiled and patted Jack’s hand.  “Jack, I’m fine, this is not my first time doing something like this.  It is not the first time a spirit has tried to interact with my physical being.  I am completely fine.”

Jack squinted and grimaced at her.  “Still, Miss Tyler, your mother would string me up by my toenails if anything happened to you.”  

“Nothing will happen,” she said, “But we must come back for an overnight.”

Jack turned white and Rose laughed. 

“I do not… Jack, you do not have to stay with us on the over night investigation,” Dr. Smith assured the other man upon seeing how concerned he looked. 

Jack shook his head and addressed Dr. Smith directly.  “I am very sorry, Dr. Smith, but Mrs. Tyler will surely murder me if I do not accompany the dear Miss Tyler on this exhibition.  I accompany her on all of her trips when it comes to the spirit world.”

“And has anything happened her her on any of those trips?” Dr. Smith asked, leaning forward to listen.  

“No, not as of late, but things have happened to me,” Jack chuckled and hurried to pour Rose a cup of tea so Mrs. McAvoy would not have to do so.  “None of us have been possessed yet, and God willing, it should stay that way.” He looked at Rose and handed her the teacup, which she took gratefully, murmuring her thanks. 

“I think we shall be fine,” Rose said, smiling.  “What day would be best for you both?” She asked. 

Mrs. McAvoy cocked her head. “I think the end of the week would be just fine,” she said, “I speak for me and my brother on that as well.”

“She usually does,” Dr. Smith admitted sheepishly.

“Miss Tyler, our carriage is due to arrive within the half hour,” Jack reminded her, and Rose nodded. 

“The end of the week will be fine, Mrs. McAvoy.  Is that alright with you, Jack?”

“Perfect, Miss Tyler.”

Rose extended her hand to Dr. Smith, and he took it hurriedly and kissed the back of it.  Rose grinned. “It should be fine, then, Dr. Smith, and I will see you then.”

Jack felt an odd sensation of dread settling in his stomach, but Rose was none the wiser.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Jack was quiet on the carriage ride back to the Tyler estate, and it worried Rose quite a fair amount.  She set her hand on his arm and looked carefully at him. “Jack, are you alright?” she asked him finally, a bit concerned when he would not make eye contact with her. 

He shook his head. “I- I hardly know what’s going to happen when we come back,” he said softly, “I saw you, Miss Tyler, after you looked around in their home. You think something evil lives there, don’t you?”

Rose sighed, letting her posture fall a little since she was just in the presence of Jack, and he would not tell her parents that she indulged in slouching every once in awhile.  “I can not pretend to know, Jack. I can only hope that when we go back to an stay at their home at the end of the week, nothing bad will happen.”

“Bad?”  Jack furrowed his brow.  “As bad as the time I was  _ possessed,  _ Miss Tyler?”  

Rose had not forgotten, though Jack liked to think that she had.  It had been terrible. His eyes had turned milky white and his mouth had hung open. The family’s house had been ice cold and the spirit had gravitated to Jack, for reasons still unknown, and had dived into him.  Rose had cursed and screamed and eventually the spirit had grown nervous and exited Jack, but he still refused to talk about what he saw in the few moments that it had him. 

“I really hope it will not be that bad, Jack,” She said, sitting back and trying to expand her ribs, though she knew her corset would not allow it.  “I will be very careful to watch out for you, I promise.”

“I’d rather not go at all,” Jack said, “Though I know that would not be fair to you.”  He sighed, “And I know your parents would never forgive me if  _ I  _ was not there to look out for  _ you.” _

Rose blew out her cheeks in a very unladylike fashion. “That is true,” she said, and patted his forearm.  “We’ll be okay, I promise.”

***********************

Two days later, Rose and Jack went out to the shops to take care of some of the groceries.  Her mother thought it would be a good idea, to teach her the ways of being the lady of the house.  Rose hated it, wished she could be doing other things, and hated the way people looked at her, knowing what she did in her spare time.  The writings in the journals she had a hand in publishing made them think she was a heathen. 

It did not seem so bad when Rose ran into Dr. Smith.  She dropped Jack’s arm the moment she saw him, but missed Jack’s knowing smile as the two of them saw each other.  

Unsurprisingly, Dr. Smith smiled when he saw Rose and approached her.  He held out his hand and she took it, letting him bring it to his lips.  He released her hand slowly and reached to shake Jack’s hand.

“Lovely to see you both,” he said, though he was really just looking, no, gazing, at Rose.  “Miss Tyler, you look beautiful.”

Rose did not feel beautiful, she felt smothered by her corsets and skirts, though she had been told that the light pink shade she wore was fetching on her.  She looked down and brushed her hands over her skirts. 

“Thank you, Dr. Smith,” She said, “You look quite dashing today.”

He offered her a smile that was quite flirtatious. “Miss Tyler, I think you’ll find that I look dashing every day.”  He looked to Jack. “I should leave you alone if you are on errands, I shan’t bother you.”

“You are not a bother.”  Jack linked his hands behind his back.  “In fact, if you and Miss Tyler have more to discuss, that would be lovely.”

“I could… Accompany you on your errands, if you’d like,” Dr. Smith said softly, sounding almost nervous.  

Rose nodded. “I would like that very much.  I have to pick up some things from the baker’s.”

Dr. Smith offered his arm to her and she tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, looking up at him. “You are sure you do not mind? I would hate to inconvenience-”

“Spending time with a beautiful woman is never an inconvenience.”

A whoosh of breath left Jack and he nodded to Dr. Smith in approval, who seemed to not realize what he’d said and blushed quite furiously.  

Rose, however, preened slightly. She was not immune to vanity, and she was sure that most women were not.  She allowed herself to give his arm a little squeeze as they set off. “Thank you, Dr. Smith,” she said, “I don’t think you intend to be the flatterer that you are.  You have certainly impressed Jack, which is quite a feat in itself.”

“I resent that, Miss Tyler!” Jack said from behind them, and Rose laughed, turning over her shoulder to make eye contact with him. 

“Miss Tyler, I hope you will not think it odd of me, but I have been spending lots of time in the library since you were at my home two days ago,” Dr. Smith said, sounding like he was a bit nervous to even be telling her this. 

Rose hummed a little in the back of her throat, letting him lead her towards to bakery.  “Dr. Smith, your interest in the spirit might make it interested in  _ you.   _ Beware it, yes?  You can not trust it.”

“No, no, I shan’t trust it, but I do want to understand it.  Does that make any sense at all?”

“Of course it does,” she replied, looking up at him briefly.  “I feel that way too, I want to know what it is doing, what it thinks.  It is incredibly important, to release what is living in your home.” She smiled a little. “I grow even more excited to come stay at the end of the week.”

“Oh! Brilliant,” he beamed, looking quite pleased with himself. “I grow quite excited to have you and Jack come to stay.  My sister will come as well, of course. She enjoyed your company quite a bit, and I cannot say that I blame her.”

Rose was starting to sense that he was behaving flirtatiously with her, but she didn’t think she minded. Which was quite odd, considering she had never really  _ thought  _ about marriage at all in the sense of happiness.  Necessity perhaps, but not happiness. 

She shook her head minutely, feeling her hair loosen from its pins.  She reached up to touch it gently. “I think I should like to see Mrs. McAvoy again as well, she’s quite pleasant.”

“She’s only pleasant because she likes you,” Dr. Smith said, “She is hardly ever so pleasant with me.  In that case… Perhaps you should come round more often.” 

“Well, if the spirit decides to vacate your home, we shall think about it, shan’t we?  Though you must know that I am a very busy woman with many spirits to vanquish.”

He seemed to deflate a little at those words.  “I apologize, that was very forward of me. I do enjoy your- being around- alright, perhaps I should stop talking before I choke, shall I?”

Rose laughed. “We do not have to talk about my visitation of your estate anymore, alright?  What did you see in the library after I left?”

“It is not really what I saw, more of what I felt,” Dr. Smith said as he led her into the bakery.  “The chill in my bones, like you said.. All of it, it was painful, almost, made my chest hurt and my knees shake.  It was so odd.”

“Did you leave, when you felt the pain?” she asked, her eyes locking onto his, panic racing through her blood.

“Yes,” Dr. Smith nodded. “I had to, you know, it was very frightening.  Do you ever… feel afraid, of the spirits?”

“Sometimes,” Rose said softly, “When they are very powerful. You might have something powerful on your hands.”

“I am a bit afraid of it,” he whispered. “I won’t let any of the manservants into the library anymore.”

“Mm…” Rose nodded, getting lost in thought, and released his arm to go order the breads and sweets her mother needed for an upcoming party.  

Dr. Smith stayed back, and started to look around at the display cases.  It was newfangled, most of it, and Rose wondered if, as a man, he’d ever been in any of these bakeries.  There was certainly no reason for him to be here, and if Rose was of a higher social status she would have sent a servant.  They had  _ help,  _ certainly, but Mrs. Tyler thought that it was best that the woman of the house did the majority of the work. 

“She is quite remarkable, isn’t she?” Jack asked from his spot next to Dr. Smith. “Sir.”

Dr. Smith jolted. “Oh. Of course she is, she is… quite remarkable.”

“She must be,” Jack said knowingly, “For you to keep looking at her the way that you do, if you’ll pardon me saying so.”

Dr. Smith colored deeply and looked away from Rose, up over her head. “Oh, you know, Jack, I think it’s very presumptuous of you to think that I am interested in Miss Tyler in such a fashion.”

“Well pardon me, then, sir,” Jack bowed, but only to conceal the smirk that was directed at the poor doctor. 

Once Rose was done placing her order with the baker, she turned back to the men, who were no longer talking, as Dr. Smith looked like he was about to explode.  Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing and came back to them, holding the receipt that the baker had scrawled on. 

“I’m all done here,” she said, holding up the paper.  “Jack, could you put this in the books for me?”

“Yes, miss,” Jack took his book from his pocket and slid Rose’s receipt in it, planning to give it to her mother when they returned back to the Tyler estate.  The three of them left the bakery and Rose was surprised to find that Dr. Smith offered her his arm again. She wished, for perhaps the first time in her life, that her hands were bare so that she could feel his skin through one less layer of clothing.  

She shook herself, not knowing what was causing all these thoughts, but cursing her hormones.  That was what it must have been, she reassured herself, there was positively no way that there were any real emotions building up for Dr. Smith.  

“Miss Tyler, would it be presumptuous of me to invite you to lunch?” Dr. Smith asked once they had both run all of their errands. 

Rose patted his hand. “I have plans with my parents, I must be getting back home,” she said, “I shall see you at the end of the week then, I think that would be best, don’t you?”

He did not seem to agree, as his face fell for a second, but enough for Rose to see it flicker across his face.  “Yes, well, of course. I should have thought about it that way. Tell your parents I said… hello, I suppose.”

“We shall!” Jack said, hoping to distill the awkwardness of the moment.  “We shall see you at the end of the week, Dr. Smith. Tell Mrs. McAvoy we said hello as well.”

“Perhaps you should come before the night time… for dinner?”  Dr. Smith asked. 

“Alright,” Rose agreed.  “I think that would be alright, don’t you, Jack?’

Jack nodded vigorously.  “I think that should be just fine, I am sure your parents will not object.  In fact, I’m absolutely positive.”

Rose smiled. “Well, that settles it.  Dr. Smith, thank you so very much for the invitation, we’ll be there at six, if that is appropriate.”

“Anytime you think is appropriate is appropriate to me,” Dr. Smith said, holding his hand out for Rose.  She smiled and laid her hand in his, letting him pull it to his lips once more. He kissed her knuckles, still looking her in the eye.  She smiled but had to avert her gaze when she saw how intense his eyes were.

“Well, Jack, I think it’s time we got back to our carriage.  It has been lovely spending a few hours with you, Dr. Smith, and I look forward to vanquishing your spirit.”

He laughed. “You mean the one in my library, of course?”

“Of course.”

Rose took Jack’s arm as the two of them walked back to the carriage, and Jack squeezed her arm.

“Miss Tyler, he is so desperately taken with you I think you must be receiving his love letters by the end of the month!”

Rose found herself scrunching her nose.  “He is just friendly.”

“Very well, Miss Tyler.”

She gave him a bit of a dirty look but said nothing more.  Dr. Smith, on the other hand, practically skipped back to his own carriage, seeing as he was so full of delight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am...... Ridiculously proud of the end of this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Rose wasn’t sure that she wished to attend dinner at the Smith estate, but when she had told her parents about it, they had been very excited about the whole arrangement, to say the least.

“Oh!  Dr. Smith should be a good companion for you, Rose,” her mother had said quite happily.  “Perhaps you should take a look at him, even if he is a bit delusional with all this talk of spirits.”  
Rose frowned in response, wanting to speak her mind but not really feeling as though that warranted disrespect.  “He is not delusional, mother. There is something in his home. In his library, to be exact.”

“What, so he has a ghost who likes to read?” Mrs. Tyler let out a laugh at her own joke.  

“Jackie, love, I think you should consider that this is our daughter’s career.  I believe you, dear.” Mr. Tyler smiled softly. He was certainly the more gentle of her parents, to say the very least.  

“Thank you,” Rose said, feeling quite exasperated with them. “I told him I would attend, but if it interferes with  _ any  _ of our plans, any at  _ all-” _

“Well, I can’t think of any,” Mrs. Tyler said, tilting her head. “Besides, Dr. Smith is a  _ very  _ eligible bachelor.”

“So you’ve said.”

With her plans solidified, much against her will, she was to go and pack for her overnight stay at the Smith estate.  The smallest thing she had was an old trunk, so she decided to simply go with that. She packed a set of nightclothes, an extra gown for the night, in case something should happen, and a gown to leave in.  She had help to pack, one of her mother’s maids, and once it was all said and done she realized she would need help getting dressed in the morning, and help with her hair as well. She blew out her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest, terribly unladylike, but quite comfortable.  

“Think that’s everything, don’t you, Lynda?” Rose asked the young woman, who shut the trunk with a flourish.

“Yes, Miss Tyler.”

“Tell me, Lynda, would you like to come to the Smith estate with Jack and I?  I should need help getting dressed again come morning and I don’t think I want Jack to help me.”  
Lynda laughed and her joy turned to a beam.  “Really?” She clapped her hands together. “Accompany you on one of your trips?  I would adore it, Miss Tyler.”

Rose smiled.  “Lovely. Be ready at five, and meet Jack downstairs, he’ll help you with the trunk.”

Another reason being lady of the house was so terrible, Rose thought, it was less than desirable to not be able to help someone. If she tried to with Lynda her corset would surely force her to pass out.  

************

Jack noticed that Rose’s appearance had been enhanced even more with a little bit of rouge and lip coloring, though he decided not to comment on it besides a very neutral “you look lovely, Miss Tyler.”

It was clear that although she would not tell him so, she had developed some sort of feelings for Dr. Smith, but Jack was very interesting in seeing how the rest of the evening played out. Dr. Smith had said that he had felt the spirit too, so perhaps the lovely Rose TYler had met her match, in more ways than one.

Of course, Jack could not say any of this to her without upsetting her, so he just lifted the trunk into the boot of the carriage with his own and Linda’s bags.  The three of them got in the carriage, Jack and Lynda on one side and Rose on the other.

“Are you nervous, Miss Tyler?” Lynda asked, excitement on her face and light in her eyes.

Rose smiled.  “A bit, Lynda, but you mustn't tell.”

When they arrived at the Smith estate, Dr. Smith and Mrs. McAvoy were standing at the top of the steps.  Dr. Smith stood with his hands behind his back, and Mrs. McAvoy was waving and smiling. Rose raised her hand in greeting before letting Jack escort both her and Lynda out of the carriage.  Lynda and Jack carried their things and Rose walked ahead towards the two. The women embraced, giggling and chatting to one another, and Dr. Smith kissed Rose’s hand, lingering a bit more than usual. 

“Dr. Smith,” she said lowly, feeling a heat stir in her that she could not begin to understand.

“A pleasure to see you again, Miss Tyler,” he said, and she offered him a smile.  

“You as well.”

“Dinner’s inside!  Ianto, my brother’s manservant, will take your things to the guest room.”  Mrs. McAvoy took Rose by the arm and led her inside, already chatting her up about what she had missed while she was gone.  Rose laughed and clung to Mrs. McAvoy, quite enjoying her conversation with the woman. She was led right into the dining room, which was incredibly lovely, and much nicer than any place that Rose had dined in before.  

Dr. Smith pulled a chair out for her and one for his sister before seating himself at the head of the table.  Rose thanked him and sat down, pulling her skirts so that they were not in her way so much. 

“It was lovely for you to come for dinner,” Mrs. McAvoy said, smiling at their guest.  “I was surprised that my brother invited you early- he does not have many guests.”

Dr. Smith frowned.  “I am… I do not  _ need  _ to have many guests.”

“That’s alright, Dr. Smith, I know it is very difficult to entertain,” Rose said, smiling, “Especially being a bachelor, as you are.”

“Yes, well, I have help.”

The dinner was very pleasant, and Rose thought that talking with Mrs. McAvoy and Dr. Smith was more exciting than she thought it would have been.  Mrs. McAvoy was hoping to have a baby within the year, and Rose congratulated her, though the other woman said it was quite premature for congratulations.

“Do you hope to have children, Miss Tyler?” Mrs. McAvoy asked, leaning forward a bit.

Rose glanced at Dr. Smith, whose attention was now completely focused on her.  She felt her cheeks heat up and she forced a smile. “Well, someday,” she admitted.  “I would like to.”

Once dinner was over, Rose insisted that they must go up to the library to investigate the spirit.  

“I’ve brought some things that we can use- that I usually use.”  

“I’ll help you carry them,” Dr. Smith said hurriedly, scrambling to his feet.  “Does Jack have them?”

Jack  _ did  _ have them, all in a bag, and soon the Rose, Mrs. McAvoy, and Dr. Smith were all situated in the library, sitting on the floor as Rose had instructed.  Jack, Ianto, and Lynda were in the room as well, standing behind them against the wall.

“This is the height of indecency,” Dr. Smith murmured.

“Well, I do not mind,” Mrs. McAvoy said, “I think it is quite… Freeing.”

Rose giggled and nodded. “I think so, too.”  She began to light the candles in a circle. “Now, remember, we are not summoning this spirit, we do  _ not  _ want it in the physical world.  You can ask a spirit to leave without asking it to come into your home or life.  Now, Dr. Smith, you said you felt it. Call upon that feeling.” She slipped her hand into his and his eyes nearly popped straight out of his head.  Rose bit back a giggle but he sorted himself, schooling his features and gripping her hand back. Rose reached with her other hand to hold Mrs. McAvoy’s hand, which forced her to lean forward a bit.  

“Do you feel it?” Rose whispered, closing her eyes as the scent of the candles floated about the room.

“Y-yes,” Dr. Smith’s voice trembled, his fingers shaking in hers. 

“I do not,” Mrs. McAvoy complained.

“Well, perhaps that is best,” Rose said softly, “It cannot touch you if you do not feel it.”  She released their hands and went back to her bag, pulling out a bit of sage. She touched it to one of the lit candles and let the flame crawl along the plant.  She blew on it softly and got to her feet, walking through the library and letting the smoke take to the air. She waved it a little and blew plenty of smoke into the colder parts of the room. She was careful not to say anything, not to call on the spirit.  

When she turned back to the others, the sage  was almost burnt out. She snuffed it and set it in the middle of the candles.  

She felt the chill of the presence slide over her skin and she blew her cheeks out, settling onto the floor once more and closed her eyes.  She filled her mind with thoughts of rejection, thoughts of pushing the spirit from Dr. Smith’s estate. She reached for both of their hands once more and held tight, trying to seem like a united front against it. 

There were many times that Rose had broken into cold sweats, and she knew that Jack had had some terrible experiences as well.  But this felt different. This felt  _ painful.   _ She winced, hissing a breath in through her teeth.  Her hand was pulled from Mrs. McAvoy’s and she leaned towards Dr. Smith as a pain started to build in her side. 

“Miss Tyler, are you alright?” he asked, and she felt him shift closer to her, the hand not holding hers taking her opposite elbow.  

“I-” She felt a pain in her side and jerked again, feeling sweat bead up on her brow.  “It- It is here.”

“What?” Mrs. McAvoy’s voice raised in panic, but Rose could not even find it in herself to panic, as fear lit her bones.  

“I can feel it, Jack- Jack, can you-” Rose would have fallen forward if Dr. Smith had not been holding onto her.  She felt Jack sink down next to her and rummage around in her bag. She heard the clink of crystals as Jack removed them from her bag and settled them around the candles and sage.  He rolled one of them into a dark corner of the library, chanting words well practiced under his breath.

The pain was building in Rose’s chest and she knew that the spirit was trying to crawl into her body. She fought it, trembling against it and she found herself screaming. 

“What is happening to her?” Dr. Smith asked, his voice panicked, as he held her tighter.  

“It is trying to possess her, but she could very well be stronger than it.  She’s been doing this a long time.” Jack kept looking through Rose’s bag, but everything that was of use had already been used.  Rose’s methods for getting rid of spirits were incredibly peaceful, and she never hurt anything, if she could help it. 

“What if it gets her?” 

“It will release her, but I would rather it not damage her,” Jack said.   He went back to chanting, strange words, and Rose started chanting them as well, spitting the words onto the carpet in front of her.  Dr. Smith, in a panic, picked up the words he could follow, bending his head down next to Rose’s to hear what words to say next. 

Mrs. McAvoy, wanting to help but knowing she did not have the proper experience to, stood and walked back to Lynda and Ianto, who were both looking on in fear. Mrs. McAvoy’s hands trembled, knowing there was nothing she could do but wanting to help  _ somehow. _

“Why her?” Ianto whispered, “If Dr. Smith can feel the spirit too?”

“She’s stronger,” Lynda responded.  “She… She is more knowledgeable. She poses kindness to good spirits and pain to bad.  So this must be… This is something evil. Very evil indeed.”

Rose began convulsing, her clothing constricting her from most movement, and she threw her head back and screamed, a dark red mist leaving her mouth as she did so. Jack’s chanting turned into screaming as the mist evaporated and Rose collapsed directly into Dr. Smith, who held tightly to her, trembling harshly.  

Jack continued to chant until Rose’s breathing was steady again.

“What’s happened, are you alright?” Dr. Smith asked, trying to get a look at Rose.

She nodded. “It did not possess me, but it was quite close. We’ll be doing this all night, I am afraid.”

“No, no, I can seal off the library, move the books,” Dr. Smith implored, “I do not want you to be hurt.”

“I am fine.  Can someone light an oil lamp or the candles?  I’m afraid the spirit blew them out, it is quite dark in here.”

Jack and Dr. Smith exchanged a look of worry, and Dr. Smith helped her to sit up. 

“Miss Tyler… The lights are on.  You are… You are looking right at me,” Dr. Smith said, looking into Rose’s somewhat glassy eyes.  He touched her under the chin to look closer at her eyes. 

“What?” She whispered.  She felt Dr. Smith’s breath on her face, yet all she saw was darkness.  No glint of his eyes or form of his hair reached her sight.

“There are lights dear, we can all see each other,” Mrs. McAvoy said softly, approaching her and settling a hand on her shoulder.

Rose’s eyes began to tear.  “So… It did not possess me.”  
“Miss Tyler…” Jack’s voice was filled with remorse and pain. “If I had only been quicker-”

“No, no, you mustn't blame yourself,” she said firmly, though her voice wobbled slightly.  “I am… I did this to myself… It-”

“You do not have to say it.”  Dr. Smith stroked her hand gently.

“It blinded me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry))


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind on this one that Rose has not gone into shock or anything yet. It will catch up with her.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

Rose’s fingers went limp but Dr. Smith kept holding onto her hand.  There was silence throughout the room, and no one wanted to move or say anything at all.  Rose reached up with one hand to dash away the tears that were falling. 

Jack rested his hand on her back. “Miss Tyler…”

“I apologize, I don’t mean to act so emotional.”  She closed her eyes and winced when there was no difference.  “We still have work to do.”

“No, Miss Tyler,” Dr. Smith said firmly, with regret lacing his voice. “I want to examine you.  Remember, I am a proper doctor, this might be temporary. I can… I can look.”

“Alright,” Rose whispered, her voice trembling.  

“Would you like Jack to come along?  Or Lynda?” Mrs. McAvoy asked.

Rose shook her head. “No, I think I need to be as alone as possible.”  

Dr. Smith helped Rose to her feet and pulled her arm through his.  He led her from the room, which was now completely silent with the sympathy that those in the room were feeling on her behalf.

He nodded to his sister and pulled Rose from the room, whose head was hung in what appeared to be shame.

“I… I failed you,” she said softly.

“Miss Tyler, you did  _ not  _ fail me,” Dr. Smith said firmly, squeezing her hand.  “I feel- I should tell you that I am feeling incredibly guilty for you being hurt.”

Rose sighed shakily.  “No, it was not your fault.”

He seemed to not know what to do with her, though he leaned towards her as he led her down the stairs towards the parlor.  They were quiet as he settled her on the couch and sat on the coffee table himself, leaning forward to look into her eyes. 

“They do not look milky,” he told her, cupping her cheeks in his hands.  “I am hopeful that it is… Temporary.”

“If a spirit was going to hurt me, it would have made it permanent,” Rose snapped, and Dr. Smith held her face a little tighter, and she shivered at the touch.

“I would like you to stay here tonight,” He said, ignoring her words. “And I shall remain hopeful, and pray for these lovely eyes.”  His breath caught and he choked for a moment. “Oh, I- I apologize, that was-”

“It is alright,” she said, smiling softly. “It made me feel a little better.”  Her smile fell. “I am not a vain woman, but I need my sight for what I do. I cannot rely on Jack.”  

Dr. Smith moved closer to her, pulling his thumb down on her eyelid so he could see under her eye.  There was no scar tissue, nothing that seemed to be causing her any pain, which meant all of the damage was inside. 

“Do your eyes hurt you, Miss Tyler?”

“No.”

He removed his hand from her cheek to brush his fingers along her jaw reassuringly, something that was certainly inappropriate, but a comfort that Rose knew she needed at this very moment.  She reached out for him and her fingertips reached his chest, just barely feeling his heartbeat. 

“I- I am sorry, I believe I am the one being-”

“Miss Tyler.”  He took her hand from his chest and pressed his lips to the back of it, lingering there the longest that he ever had.  “I am hopeful for your sight. I do wish for you to stay here so that I may keep an eye on you… Oh! I am so-”

She laughed, surprising him. “Quite alright, Dr. Smith.  If staying will help you… Then I shall stay. But I will finish the job you brought me here to do.”

“I think that is  _ most  _ dangerous and I shan’t allow it,” Dr. Smith said firmly, squeezing her hand.

She frowned. “I do not remember you being permitted to tell me what to do,” she said, “There is still much I can do for the spirit in your library without my sight.  And besides, I have Jack to do the work. It did not attack him.”

Dr. Smith sat forward a bit, his knees touching hers.  “What… What was it, that you and Jack were speaking? It was not English.”

“No, it was Latin,” she said, “I expect you know some Latin, being a doctor?”

“Yes, Miss Tyler, I do, but I did not know the words you were speaking.”

“They were exorcisms,” she said softly, “To expel the spirit from my body and hopefully from your home. I only used them because i know now that the spirit is evil, and we need… It cannot be in your home.”

He sighed softly. “Miss Tyler, I have said that I can block off that room, and I will, if it means keeping myself safe.”

“And what when you take a wife and have children?” She demanded.  “And those children are curious, and go places they shouldn’t?”

“My....” he paused, and she heard him swallow, “My  _ wife  _ and I will have to warm our children, or I will move.”

“But this is inherited property.”

“Miss Tyler, you are distracting me from your condition,” Dr. Smith said firmly, “Were we at my office, I could examine you further.”

“Take me there tomorrow morning,” She said firmly, “And see if there is something you can do.  For now, though, i think I should like to be left alone.”

He stroked his fingers over her hand and shook his head before he remembered that she would not be able to see it. “Miss Tyler, I am sorry, but I cannot leave you alone.  I care far too much, you see, too much for my own good, and I feel partially responsible for what has happened to you.”

“And what will you do, then?  Stay awake with me all night?” Her voice raised in anger, and she sat a little straighter.

“Yes!” He shouted.  “Yes, I will stay awake with you. I do not want you to be alone with your thoughts, not after such a thing has occurred.”

“Dr. Smith, I am not your charge.”

“You are now.  You are my patient, and as such, I will be taking care of you.  Now, tomorrow, if you want to resume with your spirit work, I will not stop you, but I will not encourage it.”

“Why are you acting this way?” she asked, blinking back still more tears. “Why can you not just leave me alone?”

He stood up, releasing her hands, and she let out a squeak, reaching for him after a moment of not feeling him near her.  There was quiet in the room, though Dr. Smith was breathing heavily. 

After several moments, Rose finally dropped her hands to her lap. “I… You are right.  I am afraid. I should like you to stay with me tonight.”

“Shall I have Ianto make us some tea?”  Dr. Smith sat next to her on the couch, and she remained facing forward, since there was nothing to see.  

“If you like,” she said, leaning back on the couch, but keeping her chin up.  She was clenching her jaw, trying not to have too many thoughts about the whole thing, trying to keep the negatives at bay.  When she realized Dr. Smith was not moving to go fetch Ianto, she frowned. 

“Dr. Smith, I thought you were going to fetch Ianto.”

“I do not want to leave you alone,” he said softly, “I should just stay here with you.”

She was quiet and said nothing, but she let him take her hand again.  After a few moments of companionable silence, she heard someone else enter the room. 

“Miss Tyler?”

“Jack.”

“The spirit is significantly weaker now,” he said, coming to stand next to her.  “I can feel it. You did some excellent work in the library.”

Rose smiled sadly.  “Thank you, Jack. Just give me a few moments and we will be able to vanquish it entirely.”

“No, Miss Tyler, you rest.  Dr. Smith, did you… Examine her?”

“Yes.  I have hope that it might be temporary, but i would not want any of us to get our hopes up.”

Rose reached out and tapped Jack, just barely reaching his arm.  “Could you fetch us some tea?” She whispered. 

“Yes, Miss, or course.”  Jack exited the room and Rose sighed shakily, finally letting her bravado fall a bit.  

“Is there anyone here besides you, Dr. Smith?”  Her voice broke and she bit her bottom lip to stop tears. She was dreadfully embarrassed that she was so emotional, but then again, she’d never been blind before. 

“No, Miss Tyler, it’s just me.”  

“I know this is dreadfully inappropriate, and of course you can say no, but… I would like to request a hug.”  She knew that it was not an appropriate word to use with a man, and not really appropriate to use at all, but she needed the comfort of another person and Dr. Smith just happened to be nearby.

She heard him shift closer. “Quite alright, Miss Tyler, I do not mind your inappropriateness at all.”  He stood and pulled her to her feet as well, which would make the contact less inappropriate. She fumbled for him and he swept her into his arms, holding her about the waist.  She pressed her nose to his shoulder, allowing herself to wrap her arms around him as well. 

Of course, there was no reason for her to ever be in a man’s arms, so this was a new sensation.  He was gentle and his hands to not wander for even a moment. But it was reassuring, and she could hear his heart.  Not that it mattered, but she let her eyes fall shut as she let him hold her. She wished she could open her eyes and look at him.  She had not appreciated his attractiveness when she could see. Though he said that he was hopeful, she certainly was not. She had never heard of someone regaining sight after they had been blinded.  

“Jack cannot know I am afraid,” she said softly after several quiet moments of simply holding one another.

“Why not?”  He asked gently.

“He thinks I am strong.  He thinks I… He thinks I can do anything.  But I’m not, am I? And I can’t.” She held him a little tighter, needing to be touched so that she could be grounded.  Her sight could not ground her anymore, after all.

He sighed softly.  “He said the spirit is weaker.  So you did something wonderful. But I cannot help but feel guilty.”

“You should not feel guilty.”

“Ah… But I do,” he said, rubbing his hand up her back.  She shivered at the touch and moved closer to him, her skirts pressing into his legs.  She knew she was just seeking comfort, and she should not have allowed him to hold her closer, but she felt as though she needed it.  She needed his touch. 

“I do not want you to feel guilty,” she said, holding tighter.

He let go of her at the sound of footsteps approaching the room, which Rose found she heard earlier than she would have normally.  Dr. Smith took her by the elbow and helped her sit on the sofa. 

The clinking of a tea tray indicated that Jack had returned, and Rose reached out as he set the cup in her hands.  “Here you are, Miss Tyler.”

“Thank you,” Rose said, smiling in what she hoped was Jack’s direction.  She sat back and sipped on the tea, which Jack had made the exact way that she liked it.  

“So… I presume we will stay tonight?” Jack asked softly.

“Yes,” Rose replied. 

“I - Lynda and I have agreed to stay as well, then,” Jack said.  “Mrs. McAvoy wants to see you.”

Rose nodded slowly. “She can come in here.”  Jack left and Rose hung her head. “Dr. Smith, I do not mean to draw so much attention.” 

“Please, Miss Tyler, I do not want you to feel guilty about this.”  He drew her free hand to his lips and kissed it, once, twice, and a third time.  Her breath hitched in her throat but he said nothing more about it. She waited, but there were no confessions, no words at all.  

She was not giving up, not on this, not on herself.  She knew Dr. Smith would not like it, but she would get Lynda to help her down to the library in the middle of the night.  Rose Tyler did not give up, and she would vanquish the spirit whether she could see or not.


	6. Chapter 6

Mrs. McAvoy’s usually bolstering spirit was greatly subdued when she came to see Rose.  She held her hand in hers and talked softly to her, and she could feel Dr. Smith sitting beside her.  After a few moments of this, she felt as though she was being pitied more than anything and began to resent it.  She gently drew her hand away from the woman and forced a smile. “I should be getting to bed, I think,” She said softly.

“Of course,” Mrs. McAvoy said, “I should-”

“I will escort you upstairs, Miss Tyler,” Dr. Smith said, interrupting his sister. Rsoe could practically picture the apologetic look he was giving Mrs. McAvoy, even if she could not witness it herself.  Her lip twitched but she forced it down.

“Oh… Very well.  We will see- speak to you in the morning,” Mrs. McAvoy said, and hurried from the room, as though she was afraid she was going to say something else that would make Rose more uncomfortable.

“Until tomorrow, Mrs. McAvoy,” Rose said politely, though she was not sure she meant it at all.  She wished to go home, now, though she winced at the thought of telling her parents anything that had happened to her.  They already despised what she did with a passion, this would just give them a reason to do so.

Dr. Smith took Rose by the elbow and she stood with him.  “I apologize,” he said, “I did not think she had so much sympathy in her body, and I certainly did not think she would give it to you all at once.”

Rose laughed as he laced her arm through his.  “It is quite alright, I am just not sure how much more of it I could take.”

“Nor I,” Dr. Smith chuckled lightly, patting her hand.  “Will you be alright, tonight? I could stay up with you-”

“No,” Rose shook her head. “You run an estate, and you practice medicine, you need to have your wits about you.”

“Would you consent to have me bring you down to my practice?” Dr. Smith asked quietly.  “Tomorrow morning, I could examine you with more thorough materials.”

Rose lifted a shoulder as he led her from the room. “If you think that would make any sort of difference,” she said, “But I do not believe the spirit would wound me temporarily.”

“I am hoping that yours and Jack’s strength against the spirit was enough to weaken any powers it may have had, and therefore lessoned your condition.”

“You are ever the optimist, Dr. Smith.”

“I believe it is the only way to be,” he said cheerfully.  “Of course, I could try to be… A little less so, if it bothers you.”

Rose found herself smiling at his discomfort.  He truly did not want to upset her in any way, which touched her in a way that she could not explain, and was not sure she wanted to.  He was kind, and perhaps it was simply that. She should not read into things like this, she scolded herself. He was a man trying to be helpful, nothing more.  And so, any emotions or feelings he had had for her were certainly erased when she became blind. Who would harbor romantic feelings for a girl struck blind? He would have to care for her, she could never be lady of the house.

She was not sure why any of this bothered her at all, since marriage was something that was almost never at the forefront of her mind.  But now… She was starting to feel the ice that had surrounded her heart melt, as this man was so gentle with her, helping her up the stairs, one arm around her waist now, the other one holding her elbow. 

“I can… Climb stairs,” she protested lamely.

“I believe you can, Miss Tyler, but should you trip over your skirts, we will have two broken legs on our hands, I am sure of it.”

She giggled and almost almost stumbled with it, which made him promise that he would not tell any more jokes. She insisted she did not mind and found that she meant it.    He was pleasant, not pitying her or acting as though she was useless 

He slowed to a stop and she found they had reached her room.  Dr. Smith took one of her hands in both of his and kissed it once more, running his thumb over the spot he’d claimed.  

“I… Cannot express my guilt enough, Miss Tyler, but I will do everything I can to help you.”

“It is not my wish for you to be guilty,” Rose said firmly.  “You merely asked me to come here, it is I who agreed to the vanquishing of a spirit.  And I intend to see that task through to the end, whether you like it or not.”

“Miss Tyler-”

“I wish to talk of this no longer.  Good night, Dr. Smith.”

He sighed, sensing that he was not going to bring any productive conversation from her.  He reached around her and gave a sharp knock to the door. “Goodnight then, Miss Tyler.”

“I do not wish for us to part this night on ill terms,” she said, grappling for his hand once more.  
“Miss, I think it would be very difficult for you to make me angry with you.”  He released her hand just as her bedroom door was opened from the inside.

“Lynda?” Rose turned and reached for the woman, who took her by the hand and guided her inside. 

“Let’s prepare you for bed, shall we?” Lynda asked, her voice soft.  Rose nodded and after she was changed into her nightgown, she allowed Lynda to brush out her hair.  Lynda always had a habit of humming happily as she did many tasks, which did not upset Rose at all. She simply smiled, glad that something familiar could be held on to, even in this.

“Lynda, you should know that it is possible for me to go into shock during the night, should I awake.”

The humming stopped.  “Miss?”

“Yes, you see, I think the proper way to avoid this is for you to rouse me at the witching hour so that I may try once more to vanquish the spirit.”  Rose laced her hands together in her lap and could only hope she looked like business. 

Lynda gasped. “Miss Tyler,  _ the witching hour?   _ I have never even been awake at such a time!  And your… Your sight, you musn’t risk-”

“Lynda, I am not asking your permission. Now, if you do not feel comfortable with it, you may ask Jack to come and rouse me at three.”

“Oh, but that would be highly indecent, Miss Tyler!”

“So you will?” Rose asked expectantly.

Lynda sighed and smoothed out Rose’s hair one last time. “I suppose.  But we must be careful. I doubt Dr. Smith wants you wandering about out of bed late at night, especially in the library.”

“Well, then he shan’t know.”

“Oh, I fear you are a bad influence on me, Miss Tyler.”

Rose laughed. “Well, someone has to put a little life in you.”

****************

There were several hours of sleep to be had before Lynda was to awaken her, and Rose did not waste any of them.  It was, however, dreadfully strange to wake up and not be able to even see outlines in the dark. She frowned when she did awake, and reached out for her dressing gown.  Lynda tied it around her waist and Rose thanked her, not really knowing what else she should do with a blind woman in her care. 

“It is three?” Rose asked softly.

“Yes, Miss, just like you asked.”

“Wonderful.  Now, once I am in the library, fetch Jack and have him bring my crystals.”

“Yes, Miss Tyler.”  Lynda sounded a bit reluctant, but also a bit excited. This was the first time she was experiencing one of Rose’s wonderful stories about the supernatural.  She had always heard them when Rose came home, but it was different to be there. 

Within minutes the three of them were in the library, and Rose reached into the bag Jack had brought, which was full of her most powerful crystals.  She touched them one by one, searching for the right one. 

“Do you feel it here, Jack?”  She asked. 

“Yes, Miss. Though, as I said, not as strong.”

She nodded.  “Not as strong indeed. Perhaps you were right, and I did weaken it.”  She pulled out two rounded but rough crystals as she heard Jack lighting candles next to her.

“Tell me, Jack, are these the amethyst?” She asked softly.

“Yes, Miss.”

“Ahh.  Lynda, these crystals can mean many things, but one of them is vision.”  She set the crystals down in front of her and turned her face skyward, eyes closed.

“I think- I do not believe it is that kind of vision, Miss Tyler,” Jack offered softly.  

Rose frowned at him, or what she hoped was his direction.  Jack was trying to be sensible, she knew, but she could only hope that these crystals would grant her sight again before morning. She was feeling anxiety grow in the pit of her stomach, nervousness for not being able to see anything growing, making her panic and want to turn over her shoulder.

Of course, she was unable to, but that did not mean that the urge went away.  She shifted where she sat and pressed her fingers to the crystals.

“Spirit, you must grant me my sight back, and I request that you do so through these crystals. You are not invited inside the crystals and you are not invited inside me.”  

Jack began chanting next to her, and she knew he was adjusting the candles the way that she had taught him.  She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and focused, hoping, praying, wishing that she would be granted this one gift, the return of her sight.  She had done so much good, helped so many people, and this was how she was repaid?

After several moments, she felt her heart rate begin to speed up, but with panic.  It sank into her bones, making her tense up and feel the need to run. She turned over her shoulder and opened her eyes, but nothing befell her sight, and she realized it was still gone. There was nothing but darkness, shrouding her, covering her, eating her alive.  She did not realize she was crying out and screaming until the door burst open and there was conversation.

“What is she doing up?” Dr. Smith’s voice demanded angrily.

“If we did not help her, she would have just come back herself,” Jack fired back, “So perhaps you should simply help us.”

Hands settled on Rose and she screamed, clawing at whoever was in front of her, grabbing shoulders and necks, trying to push them away.  The body from in front of her moved behind her and she was alight with terror. Nothing was more frightening than being attacked from behind, she thought frantically, trying to change it.  

Someone pulled her to her feet and swept her up into his arms, bridal carry, and she pushed on him, chanting in Latin and cursing.

“Miss Tyler!” Jack shouted, and she fell silent at the pitch of his voice, but continued to tremble in the arms that held her.  

“You will work yourself into a frenzy, Miss Tyler, you must get to bed.”  Dr. Smith, she realized, was the one holding her, and embarrassment flooded her.  She covered her face with her hands and wept, knowing that he could still see her and finding no comfort it in.  He held her a bit closer when she began to cry, though she hardly noticed. 

Mrs. McAvoy -- she could tell because it was certainly a gentle woman’s hand -- stroked her hair and shushed her gently, whispering meaningless words to her.  Dr. Smith sat and set her on the ground, but stayed near, as she turned to embrace Mrs. McAvoy.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. McAvoy whispered, looking at her brother with intense worry clouding her lovely eyes.  “I am so sorry, dear.”

Rose wept, full of hysteria and anxiety and rage, until she fainted, still clinging to Mrs. McAvoy.

“She must get some rest,” Mrs. McAvoy said quietly. “Just what was she trying to do?”

“She was begging the spirit for her sight back,” Jack said, his mouth setting in a grim line. “She thought if she asked… It was naive.”

“Not naive,” Dr. Smith corrected, his worried gaze focused on the tear stained face of the blinded woman.  “Hopeful. And I hope… I do wish for her to keep that hope, no matter how difficult it gets for her. I will still see her tomorrow at my practice, and I will see what new treatments are available.  For now, though… My sister is right. She needs rest. She’s just had a panic attack, and… Has she ever had one before?”

“No, Dr. Smith,” Jack shook his head, “This has never happened before.”

Dr. Smith pursed his lips, a dimple appearing in his cheek with the movement.  “Then she might become prone to them. I only hope she will not be crippled by fear.”  
“Hush, John,” his sister snapped, cradling Rose closer. “Lest she hear you.”

Dr. Smith nodding, running a hand through his hair.  He looked up at Jack and Lynda, who looked upon Rose with worry and care.  She was a good woman, he decided, and he was going to do everything he could to help her.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose's fate is vague and uncertain, and she and Dr. Smith grow a bit closer

The next morning, Rose woke up exhausted and aching.  She remembered little from the night before, only waking up and going to the library with Jack and Lynda.  She pressed her hand to her head, and when she opened her eyes and nothing met her gaze, she had to bite her lip to restrain more tears.    
She heard footsteps and closed her eyes again, not quite sure that she was ready to be spoken to.  She could tell by the footsteps that it was Lynda, preparing something for her to wear for the day, no doubt. She sighed, realizing that Dr. Smith was certainly waiting for her so that he could take her to his practice and examine her.  She was almost dreading it, knowing what the probable outcome would be. 

“What color have you chosen?” Rose whispered, and Lynda audibly jumped up, surprised, as she had not known Rose was awake.

“Begging your pardon, Miss Tyler?”

“What color?” Rose asked once more, “For my gown today?”

“Oh!”  Lynda moved about the room for a moment more, as she had not been done gathering up Rose’s things.  “Well, Miss Tyler, I selected the lavender onewe packed before leaving to stay here.”

Rose smiled. “I am rather fond of that one,” she said softly.  

“Quite right, it looks lovely on you, Miss.”  Lynda came to the side of the bed, holding her hand out for Rose.  Luckily, Rose’s senses were quite strong and she could feel Lynda’s hand in front of her.  She reached out and took it, climbing out of bed. 

It felt odd, to not be able to see to get dressed in the morning.  To not see the morning light or even what dress she was to wearing.  Rose helped Lynda as much as she could in getting into the dress, and when the stays were laced she felt almost normal.  Perhaps, she thought, trying so desperately to be brave, this could be normal. It would be alright. Lynda took care of her hair, leaving half loose about her shoulders and half pulled up in what Rose expected was a classic braided knot.  It would be lovely, she thought, to be able to see it, to see Dr. Smith’s reaction when he saw her. 

“If it is any consolation to you, Miss Tyler, your eyes are not cloudy in the slightest.  Perhaps it is all temporary after all.”

Rose smiled.  She had not even realized that her eyes had been open at all.  “Well, perhaps that is good news,” She said softly. 

“I should like to think so,” Lynda said cheerfully, and Rose had to be grateful that she had someone with her who was so positive and had such a optimistic outlook.  

They went downstairs minutes later and Rose heard the bustle of other people around but held Lynda for support, not trusting herself to move down stairs alone.  It seemed that no sooner had her foot touched the floor than Dr. Smith had taken her by the elbow, alerting her to his presence.

“Good morning, Miss Tyler.”

“Good morning, Dr. Smith.”

“We have breakfast all laid out, my sister is already in the dining room, and famished, no doubt!  Come now! Thank you, Lynda,” he said earnestly to the girl, who murmured and left Rose’s side. 

Rose let Dr. Smith lead her to the table, and heard Mrs. McAvoy’s friendly greeting.  Rose smiled and returned the greeting, feeling a bit relieved when Dr. Smith sat down next to her instead of at the head of the table.  It was pleasurable, to have him next to her, to have him around. 

“I have a present for you as well, Miss Tyler,” Dr. Smith said, “Just until your sight returns, but I shall give it to you when we arrive at the practice.”

“A gift?” She cocked her head, smiling.  “That has my spirits lifted already, Dr. Smith.  Is Jack about?”

“Behind you, Miss,” Jack’s voice came to meet her ears.

“Good morning, Jack, how are you feeling?”

“Well, Miss.  The levels of supernatural activity in the library had decreased greatly!  Splendid work as usual. And how are you?”

“Positively lovely, Jack.”

Mrs. McAvoy needed to return to her husband, and she regretted that Dr. Smith and Rose had to go alone, as the carriage did not have room for all four and so Lynda and Jack had decided to stay back together.  They did not want to cause Rose more stress with so many of them near to her. She knew they would never admit to that as the reason, but she appreciated it nonetheless. 

After breakfast ended, Mrs. McAvoy kissed Rose on the cheek and bid goodbye to her brother before getting in her own carriage and riding off.  Rose’s arm was threaded through Dr. Smith’s, and he led her to the carriage, going slow so that she would be able to feel her way in front of her.  

“You do not have to pity me, Dr. Smith. I can feel it,” She said softly, not wanting to offend him. 

“I… I do pity you a bit,” he said softly, “But I feel regret more, I feel guilty for asking you here.  Ane perhaps it is selfish, but I do not… I do not regret meeting you.”

Rose found herself smiling, an odd fluttering starting in her chest.  “Thank you,” she said softly, “I must say that I am very glad to have met you as well.”

He made a happy humming noise in his throat and she laughed, leaning into him more than was, perhaps, necessary.

They talked, on their way to the practice, Ianto driving the carriage.  She was surprised that they fell into conversation so easily, that he was so gentle and lovely to talk to.  He was expressive, and she realized that when she was not distracted by his dashing appearance, she was dazzled by his intellect.  He was clever, his wit bouncing along with hers and in spite of her blindness, she found herself laughing, nearly crying with it. 

“I must say, Dr. Smith, you are an absolute pleasure to converse with,” she said, resting her hand on his arm.  

He covered her hand with his, squeezing her fingers lightly. “And you, Miss Tyler.”

When they reached the practice, it was clear that he owned the building, as she heard keys in the lock and there was no sound of anyone else being in the building at all.  She held his arm still, just in case there was someone who would startle her. 

“And here we are,” Dr. Smith said, and he helped her to sit down on the examining table, the leather creaking, but he did not ask her to lay back, for which she was grateful.  She was not sure she would have been able to handle it without fainting. 

She heard him shuffling about in one of the drawers and felt him approach her, his body close to hers.  She felt her breath hitch as his hand cupped her cheek and he pulled her lower eyelid down with his thumb.  She looked to where she hoped he would be, where she thought he was, where she could sense his breath near her face.  

“What do you see?” She asked on a whisper. 

“There does not seem to be any scratching on any part of your eye, or none that I can see.  They seem to be just fine.”

Rose frowned. “Clearly not.”  

“Well.. No, clearly not, I simply say that  _ physically  _ there is nothing wrong with them.  Which means I have hope that it could possibly be temporary.”

“Really?”

“Perhaps,” he replied, examining the other eye. She could feel the heat of the light he was shining in her eyes, and she found herself curious, wished she could see it.

“Describe the room to me,” she whispered as he continued his inspection.  “Please?”

“Yes, of course,” she said softly, “On your left is the door through which we came… Behind you is a very lovely painting of a forest that my grandmother painted, and there are other paintings around it, although I could not tell you who painted those.  On the right is the medicine cabinet, which is a complete mess so I am a bit glad you cannot see it.”

She laughed and he finished off, running his thumb over her cheekbone.  She gasped and he pulled his hand away, apologizing profusely. 

“No,” she reached out and took his hand, pulling him back nearer to her.  “What… What should I expect?”

She heard him swallow, and he took the hand that held his and brought it to his chest.  “Miss Tyler, I do not know what to expect. My hope is that your sight will return, but of course there is no way for me to be sure of that.  I- I stayed up late, to make you something for an occasion such as this.”

“My present?”

“Yes,” he said, releasing her hand and moving to the corner of the room. “I brought it with me, but I was hoping that I would not need it.”

“How clever of you to hide it in plain sight,” she teased.  

“Oh!  No, Miss Tyler, i meant not disrespect at all!”  He rushed back over to her and she smiled, shaking her head.  

“I was merely in jest, Dr. Smith, you needn’t worry at all.” She reached a hand out. “Now, what is this?”

He placed something slim and made of wood in her hand and she drew it closer to feel it and see what it was.  “Oh! A cane!” She was surprised to be so delighted by it, but being someone who loved freedom so much, she supposed it only made sense.  

“You like it?”

“Yes, indeed,” She said, feeling the head of the cane. “And this… There is a little rose at the top.  How did you find this on such short notice?”

“I stayed up late, making it for you,” He said sheepishly.  She wished for anything in the world that she could have seen his face at that very moment.  She imagined he was blushing, and she decided she had to know. Laying the cane across her lap, she reached up to frame his face in both her hands. Unsurprisingly, they were warm, and she smiled.

“Thank you,” She whispered, and on a mand impulse, drew him down so she could kiss his cheek.  His breath hitched in his throat and she released him, feeling a blush crawl up her breast and onto her own cheeks.

“You are decidedly… Very much…. So welcome,” he said, stumbling over the words, and it gave Rose an odd sense of pride, that she had made a man flustered. 

“How long will I be blind?” She asked, “If it is temporary?”  
He sighed, seemingly grateful to have the subject changed.  “I can not begin to tell you,” he said, “I wish I knew. I really do.  I am so sorry.”

“Ah, do not be sorry.  Do not. I choose this life, I choose to chase after spirits.  How unfair of you to blame yourself.”

“I… I should step away, I think-”

“Please, no,” she reached for him as he moved backwards, needing to touch him, needing him to ground her in reality.  She was brave. She was strong. But she was not entirely fearless, and she was not sure she ever would be. Especially not now.  Her fingers grazed the lapel of his jacket and he can near to her again.

“Miss Tyler, I would embrace you again, but I fear that would not be appropriate.”

She tilted her chin up. “Embrace me again,” she said softly.  He moved nearer to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, drawing her against him. Her knees pressed to his thighs and it felt so scandalous, her body heating up just because she was touching him.  She held him about the waist, pressing her cheek to his chest. 

“You still feel guilty, I can feel it,” she said teasingly.

“Ah… A bit.”

She wanted to take it from him, wanted to be disgustingly naughty and kiss him.  She bit her own lips to keep from making it so. She wanted to hold him forever, she decided, if it felt like this.  If his heart kept beating quickly under her cheek, if she could feel his back under her hands. It would be a lovely existence, and one she would not need sight for at all.

He started to pull back, ripping her from the lovely fantasy, but she gripped the fabric of his jacket in her fists. 

“One moment more,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tighter, though it mattered not.  

He melted into her once more, touching her in more places than an unmarried man had a right to touch an unmarried woman.  And yet, still, he whispered into her hair, 

“One moment more.”


	8. Chapter 8

 

Dr. Smith decided to help Rose back to her estate, and the carriage would go back for Lynda and Jack.  Rose protested, but Dr. Smith insisted, since he still felt responsible for her blindness. Eventually, Rose gave in, letting him escort her back.  She knew Lynda and Jack would not mind slipping into the house later, so they would not incur Mrs. Tyler’s absolute wrath. 

Sitting in the carriage, Rose found herself tracing her fingers over the little wooden rose that was carved into her cane.  It was nice to feel, and somehow comforting. She turned her face towards Dr. Smith, trying to get his attention, and said softly, “Did you carve this so I could enjoy it?” She asked, “Since I cannot see it?”

“Erm… Yes, in a way,” he said, laying his hand over hers on the cane. “I think that just because you cannot see it does not mean you should not have something lovely.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Dr. Smith.”

He did not respond, and she knew it was because he did not think he deserved her thanks, and Rose wished nothing more than comfort for him.  She did not blame him for her blindness, though she knew he would never accept that. 

When they finally reached the Tyler estate, Rose did her best to use the cane alone, but Dr. Smith still insisted on taking her arm and leading her up the stairs to the entrance.  She let him lead as he spoke quietly to her, calming her racing heart. How he always knew how to calm her she would never know, but she grew more attached to him by the minute. 

“Rose?”  Jackie’s voice filtered down the hall. “Good heavens!  What-? Dr. Smith, what are you doing here? What’s happened?”

Rose gripped Dr. Smith’s arm harder, needing to feel him there next to her. “Mum, we’ve… The spirit in Dr. Smith’s library was very strong, it possessed me, and it didn’t get inside!” She held her cane out in warning, “But I’m… Dr. Smith thinks it is possibly temporary, but it blinded me.”

“It  _ blinded  _ you?! Rose!” Jackie ran to her daughter, but Rose would not allow herself to be pulled from Dr. Smith.

“Be careful. She should not be disoriented by being dragged around.”  Dr. Smith said firmly, gripping Rose’s arm against him.

“Oh, you can hush!” Jackie snapped, and Rose heard another set of footsteps coming up on them.  Her ears perked up and she tapped her cane on the floor.

“Rose, you’re home.  Where are Lynda and Jack?” Pete’s voice was a calming force to Rose, and she felt her muscles relax.  

“This absolute-”

“Jackie!” Pete cut her off, laying a hand on her shoulder. “We are in polite company. Dr. Smith is a good man, after all.”

“Ah, yes, polite company that blinded our daughter! The blasted spirit in his library blinded her.”

“I am taking responsibility for it,” Dr. Smith said, his voice barely restrained.  “I examined Miss Tyler at my practice to see what I could do, and I believe it is possible that it is temporary.”

“But if not he made me this,” Rose held out her cane and felt her father’s gentle hands take it from her before her mother could grab for it. 

“Dr. Smith, this is lovely,” Pete sounded surprised.  “You made this?”

“Yes, Mr. Tyler, I did,” Dr. Smith replied, “A pastime, really, but I thought I could help Miss Tyler with it and that was the most important thing of all.”

Pete gave Rose her cane back and she held it gently, setting the end of it on the ground and holding onto the rose at the end.  She wished for anything she could tilt her head against Dr. Smith, just to feel him there, but she knew her parents would frown upon that sort of action.  She could not stop herself from wanting more of it from him, though.

“Well, no one will want to marry her now,” Jackie said, and Rose winced nearly painfully, having to acknowledge that that information was most likely true.  Who would marry a woman they would have to take care of for the rest of her natural life? As much as it broke her heart, she had to acknowledge that no man, not even Dr. Smith, would consider her for a match.  

“You needn’t say that in front of me,” Rose said, letting her hand slip from Dr. Smith’s arm.  “I should go upstairs and wait for Lynda’s return.”

“Nonsense,” Pete put his hand on her shoulder to still her.  “Dr. Smith, we would be honored if you joined us for tea.” 

She could practically feel the hesitance in Dr. Smith’s posture, and she reached out for him.  He grasped her hand in his and sighed softly. 

“I do not think that would be a good idea, Mr. Tyler. I would not want to upset your wife.. Any more than I have already that is.”

Jackie made a very unladylike sputtering noise and directed her wrath towards Dr. Smith.  “Of course I do not want you here for tea, but Rose seems to be fond of you, though I cannot imagine why, since you blinded her.”

Dr. Smith dropped Rose’s fingers and Rose heard the rustle of his hands going into his pockets.  “Then I suppose I should be going, shouldn’t I?”

“I suppose you should,” Jackie said harshly. 

Rose reached out for Dr. Smith again.  “Please don’t go,” She said softly, wanting him near her, and for some reason, not wanting him to leave at all. She was so fond of him, so fond of having him close to her and helping her that she wanted him to stay close to her.  

“I am sorry, Miss Tyler, but I would not want to put stress on your mother and I really do not want to put stress on you.  It would be lovely if you could get some more sleep, since I doubt you slept well last night, rest might make you feel a bit better.”

“I-”

“Miss Tyler,” He said softly, pleadingly, “If you like, I can call on you tomorrow.”

“I would like that very much,” Rose said, and Dr. Smith finally took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

Pete made a disgruntled sound. “I wish you would reconsider.”

“Ah.  Miss Tyler, I know you can not see, but your mother has a very lovely vein protruding from her neck.”  He kissed her hand again and said goodbye to her parents.

Rose giggled but followed him, tapping her cane in front of her.  “May I at least walk you out?”  
“Of course,” Dr. Smith said.  

“Here, let me try to navigate myself,” She insisted, tapping her cane along in front of her and listening to the sounds it made on the floor.  She heard Dr. Smith’s footsteps retreat to the front of the estate, and he stopped, waiting for her. 

Finally, she reached him, her hand touching his elbow. He let out a quiet cheer and she laughed, knowing that her parents were probably still watching even though the two of them were being a bit inappropriate.  She let him lead her out onto the front steps and sighed softly when they reached them.

“I am so sorry about my mother,” she said, “I never thought it would be like this, never thought I would be blind and she would be so terribly rude.”

He rubbed her arm gently. “She is simply upset, and of course she blames me for what happened. I am so sorry,” he stepped closer to her and touched her cheek, just under her eye.  “If I could rewrite last night-”

“No,” Rose shook her head.  “I do not think that anything you could have said or done would have changed anything at all.” She let her head hang forward and sighed heavily. “Will you still come and see me tomorrow.”

“Rose, not to be… Terribly forward, but… I wish I did not have to wait so long to see you again.”

“I will have to wait a bit longer to see you again, I am afraid.”

“Oh! I am sorry, I did not mean-”

Rose laughed, resting her hand on his chest. “I was only joking, Dr. Smith, it is alright.”

“I do not want-” he sighed, “I fear I never say the right thing around you, Miss Tyler, and you must know how much I desperately want to.  You are so vastly important to me, and I am not sure when that happened, but… I am terribly fond of you, and I do wish for you to be in my life.”

She bit her lip, wanting to keep in a lot of the thoughts that were warring in her head. It was difficult, to keep in the feelings for this man that were growing in her, spreading through her chest and nearly spilling from her lips.  

“I- What if I never see you again?” She asked softly, “What if my sight never comes back, and I never get to see you again?”  She did not know she was worried about it until it left her lips, and she closed her eyes, hoping for all her life that his eyes were not trained on her. 

He took both her hands in his and settled them on his cheeks. “You can- you remember what I look like, so this could help you…. Recall.”

She smiled and traced her fingers over his cheekbones and down to his jawbone, bringing one hand up to touch the bridge of his nose.  “Lovely,” She whispered, and smiled, dropping her hands to his shoulders.

He blew out a sigh and bid her goodbye.  She did not want him to leave, but when he pulled back and pulled her hand to his lips, she could only wish that if he was going to leave, he could at least kiss her properly.  

She let wind touch her face as he left, listening to the carriage as it rattled away down the drive. She stayed standing outside, just needing it to continue to touch her, so she could feel  _ something _ .

************

Inside, Jackie and Pete were still engaged in a bit of a heated conversation, and Pete was, of course, trying to keep the situation from escalating, but of course Jackie had a flair for the dramatics.

“She is quite fond of him,” Pete said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I think we should ask him if he is considering courting her.”

Jackie shot him a deadly clare. “Peter, you know that no one will marry a blind girl who is going to need assistance in every part of her life. It is ridiculous to assume that just because this man was kind to her!”

Pete reached a hand out to still her.  “My dear, you saw the way he was looking at her. He looked at her as though there was no one else in the room, no one else in the  _ world  _ for that matter. He carved her that lovely cane, and he does not know if this will be permanent.  It is clear that he cares greatly about her, and I think it would be worth asking him if he is considering courting her.”

Jackie’s posture fell slightly and she sighed. “I do not know if he is after marriage with her, but perhaps something else.”

“Jacqueline!  Hush yourself.  Do you think that just because something unfortunate has happened to our daughter that no one will want her?  She is a delightful young woman, and Dr. Smith has done much to encourage her. He is caring and would have stayed for tea if you had not been so dreadful to him.”

“He would not have stayed anyway,” Jackie replied.  “He would have needed to do something else, would have come up with some excuse.  He did this to her, but would not want her.”

Pete pursed his lips and stared out to where he knew his daughter stood, staring unseeing out to where the carriage was leaving the property. He could see it, even if his wife could not.  Dr. Smith had the look that Pete himself had had when he had met Jackie. He would ask Dr. Smith if he did call on Rose tomorrow, as he had mentioned. 

Rose returned, tapping her cane on the ground as she approached her parents once more.  “I think I am getting the hang of this,” She said, grinning in the general direction of her parents.  

“Very good, darling,” Pete said.  “Come, let’s have tea and when Jack and Lynda come back, you can have a bit of a rest.”

Rose nodded. “Alright.  Dr. Smith said he would certainly call on me tomorrow, and mother, I hope you’ll be a bit kinder to him this time.”

Jackie huffed but said nothing, and Rose found herself smiling a bit, hoping that maybe her blindness would not hinder her as much as she thought.

He wanted to see her again, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be able to update at all this weekend which is why I am updating again now, so I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> It is much harder than I thought, to write a story where my protagonist is blind, since I can't rely on my characters' facial and body cues, or even describe colors. Reviews are very much appreciated, I've never done anything like this before!

Much to Rose’s surprise, Dr. Smith did arrive the next day, and she could tell by the clinking that accompanied his steps that he was carrying the bag she and jack had both forgotten at his home. 

“Dr. Smith,” She got to her feet when her father escorted him into the parlor. “No disrespect, of course, but I was not sure that you would come.”

“I would not turn down an opportunity to see you, Miss Tyler,” he said with conviction, and she held her hand out to him, which he kissed as usual, though it was much less than it usually was, since her father was in the room. 

“I will be staying with the two of you until tea.  I would love to know more about the medicine you practice, Dr. Smith.”

“Quite right,” Dr. Smith patted her hand, signalling for her to sit, and she did, pleased when he followed right behind, perching next to her on the couch.  “I am very pleased that you are interested in medicine, Mr. Tyler. Not nearly enough men are, these days.”

“Well, quite a flatterer, you are,” Pete laughed, “But not as much as Jack.”

“Ah yes, the unruly butler.”

Rose laughed.  “Hush, now, he would have loved to hear you say that.”

“And will your wife be joining us for tea, Mr. Tyler?”

“Yes, Dr. Smith, she plans on it, and I apologize for anything that she might say to you during tea.”

Dr. Smith laughed, “I shall try to return her kindness.”

It was nice, in fact, lovely, to talk with Dr. Smith and her father. She could practically feel Dr. Smith’s hand twitching, as he clearly wanted to reach for her.  She wished that he would, wished he would make his intentions clear. She was not sure, as she had no experience with men, but she had thought that a man who wished to court a woman might be a bit more forward.  Well, he was forward, she supposed, but only when they were alone, which did not do any good if he wanted their relationship to move forward.

Which, she realized with a cold bolt in her stomach, perhaps he did not. Perhaps her blindness had been the final nail in the proverbial coffin.  She could not see, and she communicated with spirits. She most likely sickened him, even though he had sought her out. It would not be enough to sustain a marriage, she thought unhappily.  She realized a marriage with him would not be so bad after all.

“Miss Tyler?” 

Rose turned on instinct towards the sound of Dr. Smith’s voice. “Yes?”

“I am sorry, you seemed so very far away from us, and I thought that perhaps you had fallen asleep on us.”

She smiled timidly. “Oh, no, I am very much awake.  I am sorry, just… Lost in my thoughts.”

“I was wondering if you would like to take me around the garden?” Dr. Smith asked hopefully.  “Your father said it was alright of course, and it would only be until tea is ready.”

“If you do not want to, Rose, I am certain Dr. Smith would enjoy the library, or-”

“No, no, I can walk in the garden, I have been using my cane all day, Dr. Smith.”  She picked it up from where she had placed it to her side. “I am quite efficient on it, really.”

Dr. Smith laughed, delighted.  “I am happy to hear that you enjoy your gift and that you are able to use it.”

“I would love to show you how good at it I am, then, Dr. Smith.”

“And I will see you back here for tea in a half hour,” her father said, and quite honestly Rose had forgotten that he was there altogether.  She smiled a little and got to her feet, placing her cane out in front of her to feel about. 

“A half hour,” Rose confirmed, and walked from the room, being very careful to make it look as though she did not need any help.  Dr. Smith followed along behind her, and she heard him shake hands with her father before leaving the room. 

“So you are quite good at this,” he said.

“It helps that I know my way around the room,” Rose said, “And the house, for that matter.  I suspect I would not be so good out on the streets, you know.”

Dr. Smith laughed, “Well you might be.  Though we do not have time to test that theory, perhaps we would another day.”

“Are you saying you would like to take me about on the town, Dr. Smith?”  Rose asked teasingly, almost a bit glad that she could not see him in that moment.  

He took her arm to guide her around a potted tree that she had been about to run into. “I would quite like to, Miss Tyler, if you would allow me to.”

There he went again, she thought to herself, always growing bold when there was no one around but her to bear witness to it.  She sighed softly and smiled. She would take what she could get, after all. 

“All right, but on one condition.”

“And what is your condition?”

“That you allow me to come back to your estate to try and vanquish the spirit in your library.”

For a few moments, the only sounds were their footsteps and Rose’s tapping cane.  She was afraid, for awhile, that he would not say anything at all. She chewed her bottom lip, waiting patiently for him to talk once more.

“I was in the library, last night.  To see if I could feel it again. To… To beg it.”

“Beg it to what?” Rose asked out of curiosity, not knowing in the slightest what he could ask of a spirit.

He sighed, as though he hadn’t planned on telling her at all. “To beg it to give you your sight back.”

She hummed a little.  “I think I would have to be in the room for that.  A very nice thought though, it is.”

He took her arm that wasn’t holding the cane and she let him, done proving her point and actually quite happy to be close to him again.  She squeezed his arm a little in thanks, hoping he could understand what she wasn’t saying in words.

“Did you feel it then?” She asked finally.  “The spirit.”

He sighed. “Yes.  It was laughing at me.”

“Dr. Smith, I think you might be able to feel the spirits a bit more than you think you can. You must have a gift.”

“The same gift that you have?” he asked.  “To speak to spirits?”

“Perhaps,” she relented, “Though it is hard to say.  I wonder why it didn’t do anything to hurt you like it did to me.”

She heard him blow out his cheeks, and he held onto her arm a little tighter.  “I did not ask it to leave, Miss Tyler, and you did. Perhaps that is what angered it.”

“Well, it cannot just live in your house, can it?” Rose snapped. “It is not fair to you or to any other guest, especially your sister and should you ever take a wife-”

“I do not wish for you to be hurt by it again.”  Dr. Smith cutting her off gave her a very clear answer and her heart fell just the slightest bit.  

“Will you promise me to at least think on it?”  She asked. 

“I give you my word, Miss Tyler.”

They went in for tea a while later, Dr. Smith describing what she could not see in the garden, telling her every time there was a butterfly or bumblebee, delight lighting his voice and making it squeak higher.  

When Dr. Smith insisted to sit next to Rose at tea, Rose thought once more that perhaps he did want more of a romantic relationship with her, which, of course, she was realizing she was not that opposed to.  

“Do you need help, dear?” Jackie asked her daughter as she sat across from her.  

“No, mother, I think Dr. Smith can help since he is right next to me,” Rose offered, trying to force a smile at her mother.  “If you do not mind, that is.”

“Not at all.”

It was a quiet tea, though Rose had not expected it, but tension still filled the air as it was clear her mother was not fond at all of Dr. Smith.

“And you do not have anything to do tonight, Dr. Smith?” Jackie asked suddenly as Dr. Smith was handing Rose a knife so she could butter her bread. 

“Well, were I not here I would most likely be at my sister’s estate to visit with her and her husband, or I would have taken on patients.”

“And why didn’t you?”

“Jacqueline!” Pete said, exasperated with his wife’s behavior.  He had fallen in love with her for her fiery nature, but even this was too far.

Dr. Smith laughed a little, and noting Rose’s stiffened posture, settled a hand on her wrist.  “Believe me, Mrs. Tyler, I am here because I want to be. Despite how we met I am quite charmed by Miss Tyler and find her company to be intriguing and pleasurable.”

Rose felt a shiver run through her and she smiled. “Well, I would certainly hope that I did not bore you to tears, Dr. Smith, that would be terrible.”

“Indeed!” Dr. Smith cried.  “But no, Miss Tyler, you do not bore me.  I quite enjoy being around you as often as I can, and if I am honest, Mrs. Tyler, I hope you will come around to the idea of me spending time with your daughter.”

Jackie sighed from across the table, the clink of her silverware the only indication to Rose that she was moving at all.   “Well, Dr. Smith, you have not stated your intentions, which is a bit dishonorable of you, but you have been very kind to my daughter, and I suppose that means something.” 

Rose nodded. “I agree.”

“I tend not to rush,” Dr. Smith said, rubbing the back of Rose’s hand gentle before taking his own back to his side.  “LIfe is short, but not so short that we should panic and follow every gut instinct.”

“I agree completely,” Pete said, “You are wise beyond your years, you know,”

“I am told I have an old soul.”

Jackie seemed to be a bit more warm towards Dr. Smith for the rest of the night, and when he insisted it was growing late, Rose, in turn, insisted on leading him out to the door.  

“Is it Ianto driving your carriage?” She asked when they reached the front steps.

“Yes, Miss Tyler, it is.”

“Then he shan’t tell.”

“Tell what?”

Rose reached up carefully, framing his face in her hands, touching his cheekbones to try and gauge where the rest of his face was.  He stepped closer to her, one hand settling nervously on her waist, the other coming up to hold one of her wrists. 

“Miss Tyler…” he breathed out.   
“Promise me you’ll let me come back,” She said softly, stroking her thumbs just under his eyes. She liked feeling him blink, liked the fact that she could feel him at all.

He sighed.  “To vanquish the spirit?”

“Of course.”

“You realize you have me in a compromising position. Is it so I will say yes, or is there another reason?”

“Can there not be two reasons?” She asked, her blindness making her bold, as well as the thrill of the night. Dr. Smith let out a low chuckle and his fingers twitched at her waist, as though he wished to pull her closer but did not dare.  

“We are skirting along the lines of indecency, Miss Tyler,” he said, his voice now shaking.

“Now, you said Ianto would not tell,” She scolded, but when he said nothing, her bravado faltered and she started to remove her hands from him.  “But we do not have to-”

He tightened his grip on her wrist, keeping her hand on his face.  “I did not say I did not want to,” he said softly. He leaned closer to her, his fringe brushing her forehead, and she tilted her chin up, shutting her eyes.  Not that it made a difference, of course.

“Go on,” She whispered.  

He closed the distance between them and pressed the gentlest of kisses to her lips, letting her respond for just a moment before pulling back and pressing his forehead to hers.  She smiled, feeling alight and giddy, pushing away the terrible notion that filled her mind, that said that he had not promised her anything, that they did not truly mean anything to each other.  

“Lovely,” he whispered, before kissing her again, adding a bit more pressure. Rose curled her fingers into his skin, wishing to feel him closer, a piece of her that she did not know existed awakening as he drew her closer by the hand at her waist. 

“I should go,” he whispered when he pulled back once more, “Or else I shall never leave.”

“May I vanquish your spirit then, Dr. Smith?” Rose asked, her voice huskier than she had ever heard it. 

He shivered, and she  _ felt it.   _ “Miss Tyler, I think you have me convinced.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update: if you follow me on tumblr you know I'm going through some personal trouble. Again, I am SO sorry, I promise I will update more frequently.
> 
> Anway! any reviews are appreciated! <3 enjoy!

Rose floated on air for several hours after the kiss, and every part of her wanted to follow his carriage and beg him to take her back to the estate.  She wanted to go farther, as that kiss had awakened pieces of her that she had never experienced and was not sure she could ever understand. He would call again soon, she was sure of it.  Especially since he seemed to like her quite a lot. She was quite chuffed by that.

He called the next week, unannounced, but she could not say that she minded.  Mr. Tyler let her be alone with him, since there was a part of him that trusted this doctor, who seemed to move his daughter with his kindness.  She reached for his hand when he entered and he took it in both of his hands, pressing a kiss to the back of it. He grew bold, however, and moved a kiss to the back of her wrist as well. 

“I think you could come back with me to my estate, if you truly want to vanquish the spirit.”  He stroked his thumb over her hand and pulled her hand to his knee, and her heart fluttered at the contact.  

She smiled.  “So you will no longer feel guilt about this?”

“No, I will continue to feel guilt,” he said, chuckling a bit.  “I will continue to feel responsible.” He squeezed her hand and shifted a bit closer to her.  “You kissed me, the last time we met.”

“I did,” she said, feeling a bit glad that she could not see him, not wanting to see what could possibly be rejection.  Her stomach rolled over inside her and she wondered what he would say next, what he could possibly have to say that would not shatter her heart into a thousand pieces.  She was not sure when Dr. Smith’s opinion had become so important to her, why she cared so much what he thought of her. But she did, and she did not know what he would say, and it nearly killed her. 

He turned her hand over and stroked gentle fingers over her palm, as though trying to soothe her.  “I was just wondering, Miss Tyler, if you meant it. You see, I take kisses very seriously, and I do not do it very often at all.”

Rose bit her bottom lip, feeling very sure that she would be sick if this did not mean what she thought it might mean.  “What, are you well versed in kissing, Dr. Smith?”

“Not at all.  I just… I wish to know what you meant by it.”

“I think you know,” Rose replied, turning her nose up.  “And if you do not, Dr. Smith, I shan’t explain it to you.”

He huffed, but did not stop the stroking of her hand, as though it was giving him more comfort than it was giving her.  “Well, you should know we should not move too quickly. I believe sometime like what we… Have the potential to have should be nurtured.”

“What are you saying, Dr. Smith?”

“I am saying that you kissing me has made me want things that it is not appropriate at all for a man to want,” he said, and she felt as though she could see the blush that was certainly lighting his cheeks at the moment.  She smiled a little, feeling a thrill go through her at the implications of what he had said. Implying that he was having impure thoughts about her just made her want to kiss him again, though she suspected he already knew that.  

“If we were not made to feel those things, we would not have been given the ability to feel them,” She suggested, taking her hand from his and sliding it up his arm to the crook in his elbow. She shifted to be a bit closer to him. “Do you not think it so?”

He swallowed audibly but did not remove her hand from him.  “Miss Tyler, you are a temptress indeed.”

“I never have been before,” she said primly, “But perhaps I know what it is that  _ I  _ want.”

He took her hand which was not on his arm and kissed it, holding it against his lips for a moment, as though drinking her in.  He pulled her hand away from his lips and sighed softly. “I shall request that you come with me tonight, to my home. Bring Lynda and Jack once more.  They will keep you safe. I will keep you safe.”

“Will Mrs. McAvoy be there tonight?” She asked, wondering what she would prefer, because she was not even sure.

“No, she is spending time with her husband.  Aside from Ianto and a couple other workers, I am alone in the estate.”  He sounded a bit sad, and she wondered if he was not a terribly lonely man.  She knew people admired him, specifically, that many women admired him and his money, but she was not sure how many of those people actually spoke with him and spent time with him.  She was sure if they did, they would all be entranced by him. Selfishly, she was glad they were not.

“Well, then, I must come with you,” Rose said, “I shall tell Lynda to pack a trunk, will you tell my parents?”

“Oh, I… I hardly think that would be a good idea.” He sounded quite uncomfortable and she realized it was probably because of the idea of telling her mother something.  She wished she could say something terribly promiscuous, just to make him squirm a bit, but she knew it would just make him more uncomfortable to be around her. So instead she just nodded slightly.  

“Then just ask my father, I am sure my mother is upstairs at the moment.”

“Oh, not if she knows I am here.”

The two of them split of their separate ways, and though of course Rose could not see him, she could feel him watching her tapping away with her cane, leading herself towards the stairs.  She was quite impressed with herself, really, and liked very much that he was watching her at all. 

Lynda was not as surprised as Rose would have thought she would be when she was told to pack the trunk for an overnight journey to the Smith estate.  

“You are not shocked?” Rose asked.

“I knew you would go back, and I know that your friend Dr. Smith is quite taken with you.  So why should I be surprised?”

Rose felt a blush color her cheeks. “Well… I do not know about taken with, but he does know that I can fix the problem he is having with that spirit, so I suppose he would do well to invite me back.”

Lynda laughed.  “Miss Tyler, it is alright. I can tell you taken with him as well.”

**************

Mr. Tyler was more than willing to let Rose go back to the Smith estate, though he could not put a finger on his reasoning.  He knew that Dr. SMith was a good man, and he was quite alright with Rose being around him, and he could also see what sort of man Dr. Smith.  As much as he did now want to admit it, Mr. Tyler knew that Rose’s blindness would hinder her in her search for a husband, but he could see that Rose was incredibly fond of this man.  And he was no fool. He could see the way Dr. Smith looked at Rose with absolute awe, as though every move she made would inspire his too. 

So within the hour Rose was set off with Dr. Smith, Lynda, and Jack, who was still confused as to why he was going at all.  This just seemed like a ruse for Rose to spend more time with Dr. Smith, but on the other hand he knew Rose was quite serious about what she did, the work that was important to her.  

“Miss Tyler,  a newspaper has heard that you have been working at Dr. Smith’s estate and they would like to have an interview with you.”  Jack’s voice cut through the silence as they rattled on down the road.

Rose frowned. “But I have not completed-”

“It does not matter, MIss Tyler, and you know that as well as anyone.  They know who Dr. Smith is well known and you are well known… It is enough to sell more papers even to skeptics.” Jack’s tone was gentle, but Rose knew that he was right.  There was a certain prestige that came with the work she did, even if many people did not agree with it.

“Speaking of, Miss Tyler,” Dr. Smith added tentatively, “I wish… That is, I was hoping you could teach me a bit more, since I could feel the spirit.”

Jack smiled. “It is quite possible you have the gift as well, Dr. Smith.  Since you felt it so clearly.”

Dr. Smith turned to him and grinned.  “I do believe that may be the case, especially since I felt it without either you or Miss Tyler in the room.  It is… I am hopeful, that I do have the gift.” He fidgeted a bit, “And perhaps we talk to it more this time, say we are sorry for frightening it.”

Rose nodded. “I had a similar thought.  Perhaps I was a bit too hostile the first time.  I doubt it could have the power to return my sight, but maybe at the very least I can convince it to leave your home.”

“Even if you do not get your sight back, I will not think any less of you,” Dr. Smith said, his voice fierce with conviction. 

Lynda and Jack shared a look that went unnoticed.

***********

Dr. Smith and Rose were left alone once in the estate, and everyone rushed off to unpack Rose’s things and prepare the library, including Ianto, who simply had a feeling that he should make himself scarce.  

Dr. Smith led Rose to his parlor and held her about the waist, and she knew he was looking down at her.  She wished for all the world she could see him. She let her cane clatter to the ground and reached out, touching his face with her fingers.  To feel him was almost as well, she decided, as she felt the hair of a beard that was just beginning to once more grow in. Of course, she had never felt another man’s face besides Dr. SMith, and the feeling of it was something indescribably intimate.  

“Can anyone see us?” She whispered, close to his face.

“No,” he assured her, “I have shut the doors.”

“Oh, and is there any reason you have locked us in here alone, Dr. Smith?” She asked him, feeling his cheekbones and temples.  He blinked and she could feel it in the movement of the skin by his temples. 

He sighed softly and leaned down to press his forehead to hers.  “I fear greatly that you have unlocked a part of me that was meant to be buried,” he said softly, “Something I am disgusted by.”

“If it helps, Dr. Smith, I am not disgusted by it.  I would prefer that you were honest with me.”

“If I were honest then, I would very much like to kiss you again,” he whispered, moving a bit closer to her.  She smiled and held onto his shoulders. 

“You… I believe you should kiss me, then.”

“Is it not a sin?” He asked, “We are not married, and to- with intent-” he cut himself off.  “I have told you the way I have been thinking about you, the way- I am dreadfully embarrassed.”

She shook her head. “I do not believe it is a sin,” she said, and smiled, “But then again, I talk to spirits.”

“Fair enough.”

He kissed her then, and they both froze, neither of them knowing quite what to do, not expecting it to progress this far, but Dr. Smith stepped closer, wrapping his arms fully around her.  He opened his mouth slowly, allowing her time to pull away, but Rose had an idea that he would do so and followed his lead.

They moved slowly, both of them learning each other and discovering how to kiss in a way that was pleasurable. She sighed into his mouth  and pressed her fingers to his jaw, wanting to feel the movement of his jaw. It felt delightfully naughty, and Rose was sure she could stay like this forever, his hands anchoring her to reality in a way she did not think her eyesight ever could.  She wished she could see him, and witness what she was doing to him, but feeling him and hearing him would simply have to do. 

He finally groaned and pulled away from her, gasping for breath.  With one hand he held onto her waist and with the other he brushed a tendril of hair back from her shoulder. He leaned down once more and fastened his lips to her throat, sucking gently.  Rose gasped and after a few moments, he pulled back.

“I apologize,” He said in a husky voice.

“Do not, I just never- how are you even aware on how to-”

He kissed her gently and pulled back slowly so as not to make her feel like she was falling without his support.  “I have plenty of naughty books in the library, Miss Tyler. My mother was no saint.”

She laughed breathlessly as he wiped off her neck and led her from the room, and up to the library where Jack was waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself this wouldn't get bumped to mature, but Dr. Smith and Miss Tyler are testing my patience and i just might have to let them shag.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gingergallifreyan mentioned sensory deprivation smut since Rose can't see and... Well, I salivated, so you know what to expect in the next chapter. (Thanks, Ginger!)

 

She could hear by the clinking sound as they entered the library that Jack was setting up her crystals and candles for her. Dr. Smith led her to where Jack was and sat down, letting her perch next to him.  She reached in front of her and touched the crystals. “Which one is this, Jack?”

“Black, Miss.”

“Excellent.  Give the other black one to Lynda, if you please.”  She heard him do so and handed the other black crystal to Dr. Smith.  “Hold this,” she told him, “Black crystals signify security. It is not a definite protection, but it will help.  Hopefully it will keep you from anything happening to you.’

Rose put her hand into the bag and moved around, touching the crystals that Jack had left in the bag.  She finally pulled out an oddly shaped one she knew to be a gold one. It was the only one she had that was this particular oval shape.  

“This gold crystal represents power and authority, maybe in holding this the spirit will realize that I am in charge.”  She held the crystal up against her chest and closed her eyes, not that it would make much difference. She felt that there was a presence in the room and furrowed her brows. 

“It’s here,” She said softly, drawing the attention in the room back to her.  She inhaled deeply, and felt Dr. Smith shift next to her. 

“What do we do?” He asked from next to her, his voice shaking slightly.  Rose felt around for his hand and felt that he was still holding the crystal.  Letting out a breath she did not realize she was holding, she let go of his hand and brought her hand to her own crystal again. 

“Do not hurt us,” Rose said, “We are not here to hurt you.  But you have to know that you are ruining the life that exists in this home.  Dr. Smith can not have guests or anything at all, simply because you live in this library.  There is a world of life down there, and you are not letting anyone experience it.”

There was silence in the air, and it turned stale with the presence of the spirit.  Rose felt her back stiffen and breathed out a sigh through her nose. She let her mind rush, trying to block out the spirit from her mind.  She did not want it to make its way back into her mind. She feared that if her blindness was temporary, the spirit would come back in to finish the job and make it permanent.  She bit her lip, trying to focus. 

“Are you still holding the crystal, Dr. Smith?”

“Yes, Miss Tyler.”

“Good.  Hold steady, all of you.  I won’t have anyone else losing their sight or any other sense because of me.”  

“Hush, Miss Tyler,” Jack said firmly, “We will not have you blaming yourself, none of us will.  I would like you to know that none of us will blame you if anything happens to us.”

“Even so, Lynda, perhaps you should leave the room, alright?” Rose tilted her head back and she heard Lynda speak her assent before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.  

Rose felt a small surge of pride.  She’d taught Lynda and Jack almost everything they knew about the spirit world, though Jack had obtained a bit of information before she had learned more and began teaching him.  They were dead smart, both of them, and Rose felt safe when the both of them were around her. And now, with Dr. Smith here, she felt even safer. She leaned towards him subconsciously, just wanting to be close to him.

“Spirit, we do not pretend to know what you want,” Rose said, shaking herself and focusing in once more.  “But we know that you must leave this house. Tell us what you want and we can find a solution, but you must tell us without hurting us.  We promise not to hurt you.”

Jack shifted next to her and she had an idea that he might be getting ready to recite an incantation.  She would let him, but if he began to say anything rude towards the spirit, she was not sure what she would do.  She would have to stop him, certainly, but she was not sure that she knew everything about these spirits anymore.  

A high pitched whistle sounded through the room and Rose gasped.  It had been  _ ages  _ since she had heard a spirit cry out physically, and she knew not what to do.  Her heart raced, nearly hitting her ribcage with the force of the beats. She clenched her fingers around her crystal, her hands shaking. 

“Please, spirit, I beg of you, be gone from this house!” Rose shouted, sitting up on her knees.  She waited, quite patiently, really, to hear more from the spirit. 

“It is speaking to me, Miss Tyler,” Jack said softly, fear making his voice tremble.

“What is it saying?” Rose asked, wishing she could see Jack’s face, wishing she could see  _ anything at all,  _ but it seemed as though that was not something she would be experiencing anytime soon.  She bit her lip hard, only stopping when she felt herself draw blood. 

Jack breathed out a heavy sigh.  “It is saying that it is not ready to leave yet, and it would appreciate you giving it a little more time.”

“Time to what?” Dr. Smith demanded.  “It is living in my home, and I need it to  _ leave  _ my home!” 

“Do not anger it!” Jack demanded.  “It will certainly target you-”

“But I have a crystal.”

“The crystal does not matter if the spirit is willing enough to risk pain to get past it,” Jack snapped. “It will get angry and push past the barriers that the crystal puts around you. It is vital that you do not anger it.”

She could practically hear Dr. Smith getting upset by this statement, and she turned to him, opening her eyes even though she knew she could not see him.  She wanted him to at least feel the comfort of looking into her eyes.

“Dr. Smith, Jack is correct. This spirit is clearly hostile and does not want anyone angering it further.  And this one most likely knows where you sleep.” She turned to face forward again, letting her sightless eyes shut. “Did it say anything else to you, Jack?” She asked him, wanting to progress this without Jack and Dr. Smith getting too angry at each other.  

“It says that it wants to think, that we are making it angry and it wants to rest.  It’s.... Miss Tyler, it is very angry, but it also carries sadness. A great sadness.”

Rose felt her fingers loosen on her crystal and she frowned.  “It’s… It is sad?”

“Yes.”

Rose did not think she had maternal instincts, but they came rushing through her at great speeds and she furrowed her brows. “Why are you sad?” She whispered, and waited patiently until the spirit approached her, and she felt it’s dark energy around her.  It was dark but less cold than before, more melancholy. The words it whispered were not English, not even words at all, but she could tell what they meant. 

_ My lover.  She died here.  She died here. She died here.  I cannot leave, I can never leave. And you try to make me leave! _

“Oh,” Rose sank back on her heels and clutched her hand to her chest. “Its lover died here,” she whispered, “It does not want to leave its love.”

Quiet settled over all of them and Rose was not sure what to make of it all.  What could she do to make this better? She sighed. “I am sorry,” she said, “I am very sorry for what you have lost.  But you will make this man lose friends, he will not be able to entertain, he will be in pain. Do you even know that you are a spirit?”

Sadness coursed through the room, telling Rose that yes, the spirit did know, but it tore it apart inside.  Rose wondered if that was all death was, if that was what her life would become if she died lonely. How dreadfully unfair.  How  _ terrible  _ an existence.  

“It knows,” Dr. Smith whispered, “I can tell.”  He blew his cheeks out. “I am sorry, so sorry. But… Can you not be with her?  If you love her, and she is gone too-”

“Are you on the same astral plane?” Rose demanded, and felt a sad affirmative.  It was with its lover, or it would be, but something was holding it back. 

“It cannot let go of this place,” Jack said, the moment that Rose thought of it.  “Its lover waits for it, but it physically cannot go.”

Rose felt her jaw drop with realization.  “There is something binding it. It did not hurt me because it did not want me there, but because it wanted to leave and was angry because it could not.  How dreadful.”

“We… We cannot do anything tonight, can we?” Jack asked softly, “It cannot… We need more sage, we need-”

“I know.”  Rose frowned and released the crystal, dismissing the spirit from her presence.  It slunk away, the feeling of sadness going with it, and Rose gasped when it finally released her.  She fell back and felt Dr. Smith’s arm come around her waist.

“Are you alright?”

“I am fine,” she reassured him.  “Just overwhelming, you see.” She sat up shakily, and felt his hand leave her back.  The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, the feeling leaving them all slowly.  

Jack took the crystals from them and replaced them in the bag.  “In the morning I will go with Ianto and fetch what we need, alright?  For now, we will stay here. And tomorrow night as well, if we can get rid of this spirit. Is that agreeable to you, Dr. Smith?”

“Yes, it is, “ Dr. Smith said, standing up and helping Rose to her feet.  She fumbled for her cane but situated herself quickly, tapping it in front of her.  

“I should go upstairs and get some rest.”

“I will fetch Lynda and tell her about what has occurred,” Jack said.  

“Well, then, I shall escort Miss Tyler up to her room.”  Dr. Smith seemed to hold his breath, waiting for her to respond.  

Rose nodded.  “I should like that very much, Dr. Smith.”  As they left the room, Rose patted the door frame gently.  “Good night, spirit. I am so very sorry, and we shall come and free you tomorrow.  I promise.” She did not see how fondly Dr. Smith was looking at her, but she could feel it, just a bit.

*****

“You could stay,” Rose said, once he escorted her into her room.  She set her cane down on the bed and let her senses guide her to Dr. Smith, settling her hands on his chest once she reached him. His hands came to her waist and he moved closer to her, close enough that she could feel his breath on her face.

“I would not wish for Lynda to find us in a compromising position,” Dr. Smith murmured, “But, Miss Tyler, I find myself inexplicably drawn to you.  In more ways than just the physical, and perhaps that is why I want you so badly.”

She smiled, running one hand up the back of his neck and into his hair, sighing at the feeling of it.  She liked touching him more than she knew was appropriate. But she wanted to touch him more, knew that this was the most important man in her life, knew that he cared about her deeply and would not use her for physical pleasures alone. He cared for her.  

“Kiss me,” She said, “I need it.” 

He stroked her back, and she could tell that he was revelling in the touch.  “It hurts you, does it not? To hear a story so sad, of lovers separated?”

“Yes,” She admitted, “Which is why I no longer wish to be separated from you.”  She ran both hands up into his hair, sighing when he fell into her. The weight of him against her was reassuring, his touch simply made her ache for more, but of course, he had to know that it was so.  

He kissed her cheek and drew her into an embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder.  “And I do not wish to be separated from you,” he admitted softly. “How will we- Tonight, there are many eyes in the house.”

“Jack will turn a blind one,” She said, laughing when Dr. Smith winced at her joke.  “And Lynda sleeps in the other room. Once she is gone, you may come back. I have never seen this room, so you will know which door to use and how to get back to me.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “If you are sure this is what you want. I do not want you to be afraid, since you cannot see me-”

“I do not fear you,” Rose said firmly. “I never could.  I trust you, Dr. Smith, with my mind, with my body… And I do not need to see you to trust you.  Now, I suppose the question is, are you sure?”

He tightened his grip on her, nodding against her so that she could feel it.  “Yes, Miss Tyler, I am.”

She pulled back from him then, and brushed the lightest of kisses to his lips before touching his cheek and pulling back.  “Then tell Lynda to come and prepare me for bed… And when she is gone. You shall return.”

He guided her to sit on the bed, and with a whispered farewell, disappeared to find Lynda.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note rating change!

Rose readied herself for bed with Lynda’s help, shaking a bit with her nervousness.  She did not know what to expect from a night with Dr. Smith, hardly knew anything about what she knew were ‘wifely duties’.  She was not a wife, and she knew if her parents ever found out about anything she did tonight, they would be terribly disappointed in her.  She was shocked to find that she did not care what they thought, but she was very concerned with what Dr. Smith thought. Had he ever been with a woman before?  She found herself wishing not. 

He had seemed on edge with the idea too, though she knew he cared about her, knew he wanted her for more than just her body.  She was exotic to him, she knew, just as a man like him was exotic to her. She cared for him deeply, and had not expected to.  He was wonderful and kind and gentle in all the best ways. 

“Are you alright, Miss?” Lynda asked finally, her hand resting on Rose’s shoulder. She nodded, turning her head to where she knew Lynda stood behind her.  

“Yes, quite alright.  I just… I hardly know what to do about the spirit,” she admitted, changing the topic to one she understood better.  “It is not on the same plane as the lover it left behind and I am not sure how to get it back there. My knowledge of transferring from planes is not something I have ever had to do.”

“I understand,” Lynda said softly.  “It must be terribly stressful for you.”

“Oh, very much so,” Rose admitted.  “But I think after a good night’s sleep I should be just fine.”

Lynda hummed in agreement as she brushed Rose’s hair out over the back of her night dress. Rose closed her eyes and simply listened to the sounds coming around her.  She could practically feel the sound of her heart and she hardly knew what to do about it at all, except for the fact that she knew Dr. Smith was the only one who could calm it.  

“If you do not mind, Miss, I shall retire to have a bit of tea with the other maids and butlers, and then I shall go to sleep.”

“Of course,” Rose said, “I should like to do more work with the spirit in the morning, and then perhaps we can leave.”

“Yes, Miss.”  Lynda bid her goodnight and disappeared from the room, and Rose breathed out a sigh of relief.  She knew that Dr. Smith would wait a bit before coming back to her room, since he would not want to soil her reputation, and even that was something that made her heart warm.

Several minutes later, when she was still sitting at the vanity, she heard a knock at her door.  Gentle, almost timid. 

“Who is it?” She asked, knowing full well who it was.

“It is I, Miss Tyler,” Dr, Smith said softly. “May I come in?”

“I am in my nightdress,” she warned him, “So if this is something you believe yourself ready for, I do hope that you will open the door.”

She heard the door creak softly and he shut the door gently behind himself as he entered, not wanting to startle her.  “Hello,” he said softly.

“Hello.”

He approached her and squatted down next to her.  “You must know that what I feel for you is not based on an agenda I have, but simply out of affection for you, out of care for you.  I find myself wishing to spend every day with you, if you would be agreeable to that.”

“Are you asking me to court you, Dr. Smith?”

“I do not want this to go any further if we do not have a future,” he said firmly. “I am not doing this with you to quell a desire, but to solidify something that I want to continue between us.  So yes, I am asking you to court me with the intent of marriage.”

Rose felt her heart soar and then slam against her chest. “Dr. Smith… Please be certain that you wish to saddle yourself with a blind girl.”

“You are not a burden!” He said fiercely.  “You are so wonderful, MIss Tyler, and you strengths and talents with the spirit world impress me beyond belief.  I think you are beautiful and I respect you so very much. I wish… I wish for a future, with you.”

She smiled softly.  “Really?”

“Yes.  But only if that is what you wish with me.”

“I never thought I would want a marriage,” She turned towards him, reaching out for his shoulders to anchor herself to him.  “But with you I feel that I may want to more so than I ever thought. You make me want a normal life, but now… That is not even something that is possible.”  

“You are competent,” he reached up to cup her cheeks in his hand, holding her tight.  “I have seen you.”

“How will I raise a child without sight, Dr. Smith?” she asked sadly, her eyes lowering, the darkness behind her eyes seeming to darken.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and she felt the warmth of it spread through her body.  

“You will have me, and I will research a cure for your blindness until the day I die,” he said fiercely. “I want a future with you.  And I believe in one.”

She felt her face crumple a bit with unrestrained tears and she nodded.  “Alright,” She whispered. “You and me.”

He laughed breathlessly, out of relief, and affection, and so many other things she was afraid to name.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. He held her about the waist, and Rose felt the weight of what this truly was, what it would be.  He cared for her, perhaps even loved her, and that was enough for her to feel even the slightest bit of hope for them. He sighed, pulling himself in between her knees and settling against her.  She felt her heart rate pick up, but it did not feel strange. She felt strangely safe in his arms, his touch grounding her. It felt as though that was the way it was always supposed to be. 

She pulled back from his embrace, reaching out to touch him so she could guide herself to his lips.  She kissed him and found that they were growing to be quite good at it. His lips moved over hers with a purpose and Rose felt herself melting as one of his hands wound its way back up into her hair, fingers curling against the back of her skull.  His kisses grew desperate and once more a fire was lit in her that she did not understand. Her body was more awake than it had ever been, and she did not even feel as though she needed her sight. She felt his hair, his jaw, his neck, and suddenly, the feel of him, the heat and smell and taste of him filled her, and she no longer needed to see him.  She knew he was beautiful, but that hardly mattered when he was so good to her. 

He continued kissing her as he pulled her to her feet and she pulled back, wrapping one arm around his neck and panting for breath.  “I must ask… Have you ever, with anyone else-”

“No,” He said firmly, wrapping his arms around her waist.  “But you, my dear, draw me into sin.” He touched her nose with his and she giggled, noting his teasing tone.  “And have you?”

She shook her head. “Never thought I would want it.”

“And now?”

She tugged the back of his hair.  “You fool.”

He laughed breathlessly and kissed her again, guiding her back towards the bed. Even if she could see where he was leading her, she decided it did not matter too much.  She trusted him to take her safely to bed, and when the backs of her knees touched the edge of it she sat down immediately, pulling her lips from his in the process. 

She felt Dr. Smith move, felt the air around him shift as he got to his knees before her once more.  He ran his hands up her calves and to her thighs, and she sighed, tilting her head back and revelling in the sensations.  He was barely touching her, causing gooseflesh to awaken all the way up her legs. When he reached the apex of her thighs he stopped, causing her to whimper.

“Is this alright?” he asked her softly.  
“Yes.   _Please.”_ She touched her hand to his chest, just to feel him breathing.  She was glad she could feel him near, that he was another living being in the room, touching her like this.  His touches remained feather light as he maneuvered his hand underneath all her clothing. Her legs shook as she fought the urge to close her legs over his hand.  He moved up to be closer to her, kissed her again, but she pulled back to lower down and fasten her mouth on his neck as he had done before. His hand stuttered against her but kept on as she kissed him, enjoying kissing his neck just because she liked feeling the heat of his skin.  She pulled at the jacket he was still wearing, forcing it from his shoulders. 

He removed his hands from her and shrugged his jacket off, and she moved her hands to untie his cravat and moved on to the rest of his clothing.  It was silent, this divesting of clothing, and they shared kisses in between the removal. 

“I think I know how the spirit feels,” Dr. Smith said quietly, once they were both naked and Rose was silently lamenting that she could not see him.

“And why is that?” She asked.

“Because I would go to drastic measures if I were without you,” he whispered.  “I would fight to be next to you, just to be near you.”

She shivered and tugged on him. “Come here,” she said softly, “Come here, I’m ready now.”

He helped her back on the bed and climbed on top of her, bending down to kiss her collarbones and moved lower and lower.  She spread her legs to bracket his hips on the bed, biting her lip to keep back any embarrassing sounds that might arise or be heard.  He must have been well versed in his reading to be so good at this without any experience. He kissed the valley between her breasts and tried to move lower, but Rose was too anxious to let him, since she could not see him.

“Please stay up where I can feel you,” she said softly, tugging at his shoulder.  He whispered an apology into her hipbone and moved up over her once more. She took the opportunity to feel his face and leaned up to catch his earlobe between her teeth, reveling in his gasp and the buck of his hips.

“Now?” He asked softly, desperately.

She nodded. “Now.”

He pressed his forehead to her shoulder, which was warm and damp with sweat, and pushed into her, gasping as he did so.

He smelled of spices and books, of a man learned and gentle.  She was not sure she noticed his smell before this moment, but she was now, and she liked it, could get quite used to smelling it quite a lot, if she was honest with herself.

But then he started to move and she felt every bit of him, felt his touch, heard his skin moving against hers, smelled their shared sweat, and she realized that when she was around him she did not need her sight.  She kissed him everywhere she could reach, running her hands over his back to feel the movement that she could not see. She curled her fingers into his back, trying to hold onto him desperately as he moved over her.  

It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she ended up crying out anyway, despite her efforts to hold back.  He seemed to realize that it was alright to make noise, then, and he grunted words into her neck, things like “Stay” and “darling” that made chills break out over her sweaty skin.

“John,” she gasped out, and that was enough to force him to speed up, his hands tightening on her, lips kissing her neck and pulse points.  Saying his name felt like a release in itself, but when he sped up, it was even  _ more.   _

“Rose,” he said her name back to her, and it was enough to finish her off, making her cry out and dig her fingers into the back of his neck.  He groaned and followed her, and she floated high up in the feeling of touching him, of hearing the sounds that she  _ made him make.   _

They came down together and Rose stroked her fingers through his hair, feeling the sweat and the softness of the strands.  “I wish you could stay all night,” she whispered.

He kissed her cheek and cuddled down on top of her.  “I wish I could too. We can… Cuddle for a bit, though.”

She sighed, closing her eyes and letting the weight of him ground her to reality.  “Good,” she whispered, and found that it had been very good indeed.


	13. Chapter 13

 

He stayed longer than she thought he would, and she stayed resting her head on his chest, her arm around his waist. She’d never felt a man naked before, but his skin under her hands was strangely comforting.  She moved to be almost half on top of him, listening to his heart and drawing immense comfort from it. 

He laughed at her shifting around and rubbed his hand up her back. “Are you asleep?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back, and he laughed again.  

There was silence in the room for a few moments, and he sighed softly.  “Was it-? Was I alright?”

She smiled against his chest. “You were brilliant.  Of course, neither of us have anything to compare to, do we?”

“No, I suppose not.  I did not- I was afraid I would scare you, since you could not see me.”

She shook her head. “I do not think I could ever be afraid of you,” she told him, holding him tighter as if to reassure him.  “Although, this does feel quite scandalous.”

“ _ This  _ is what feels scandalous to you?”  He asked in disbelief. “I believe I shall have to change the sheets before I leave.”  

She ran her hand up and down his side, feeling the bumps of his ribs.  “You shall be changing  _ my  _ sheets?  How interesting,” she teased him, though her voice was growing a bit heavy with sleep.  

“A role reversal to be sure, but I would not mind changing your sheets.”

“Well, I cannot see them anyway.”

“ _ Rose.” _

She laughed, knowing her jokes about her blindness unsettled him a little.  She pressed her lips to his chest. “I like the way you say my name,” she told him.

“And I like when you say mine.”

“Alas, we should have to call each other by our surnames around others,” She said reluctantly.  She braced herself up on his chest and reached her fingers out to touch his lips, needing to check and see where they were. She moved her fingers and kissed him. “John.”

He wrapped his arms around her back, holding tight to her.  He kissed her back, holding her down on top of him. She pushed her knee between his, wanting to be closer to him now that she could be, now that they had confessed feelings and intentions and she was feeling quite safe about what their relationship would become.  

He groaned and rolled her over, tangling them fully in the sheets and pressing her into the soft mattress.  He pulled off of her after several moments, keeping close enough that she could feel his breath on her face. 

“Alas, Rose, though the spirit is willing-”

She giggled and wrapped her arms more fully around him, just content to embrace him.  “That is alright. I should like to sleep in bed with you for a bit.”

“I am afraid I would not get up in time, my dear,” he said softly, rolling to his side and tugging her so that she was on hers as well.  The touch of his skin was comforting, and she felt a feeling so close to love bubble up inside her. She sighed softly and scooted closer to him, wanting to feel the warmth of his body.

“I just… I would like to cuddle with you, and hold you till morning,” She whispered.

He kissed the crown of her head. “Soon enough, my Rose.  I should think that once the spirit is vanquished tomorrow, I would like to ask your parents for your hand in marriage.”

She hummed, trailing her fingers through the hair on his arm. “Perhaps you should do that  _ while  _ I am vanquishing the spirit. We do not know how long it will take, after all.”  She settled against her pillow. “You seem to have a great deal of faith in me.”

“I do,” he said, “I have an immense amount of faith in you.”

“John…”

“I do not think you can see how wonderful you are,” he said, “If it would make you happy though, I shall go in the morning, and you and Jack can try to finish the spirit off.”

“Oh!  I do not with to do that,” she scolded him, “I am simply going to try to send it to the same astral plane as its lover.”

He rolled closer to her, pressing himself against her, not with intent, just to get close.  “I would not know where to begin with that.”

“I do not know either,” Rose admitted. “I have never done it before, but I do want to help it… Even after what it did to me, I want it to be with its lover.”  She tipped her forehead against his chest and he brought a hand up to cradle her head. 

He let out a long breath. “You are a better person than me,’ he admitted. “I would not be nearly as kind.”

“I think you would,” she said softly, “You think you are tough and unkind, but you are not.”  

“I am… Tough.”

She laughed at his awkward tone.  “It is quite alright. I am very fond of your kindness.”

They were quiet for several moments, simply enjoying the feel of each other, when John decided to speak again. 

“Can I tell you something?”

“Is it a secret?” She whispered.

“Sort of.”

“Then yes, tell me.”

He huffed out a laugh.  “Well, I suppose the secret would be that I fancied you from the day I met you.”

She felt a bit warm inside when he said that, though she was not sure why. She knew that, of course, could tell in the way he had looked at her and spoken to her.  He had flirted, quite blatantly, really, and she had turned him down, thinking she did not want marriage. She smiled, thinking of what a fool she had been. 

“I knew,” she said softly.

“You  _ what?” _

“I knew that you fancied me.”

He paused for a moment. “Is that why you were so short with me when we first met?  You were quite frankly incredibly stiff.”  
“Mm,” she nodded. Knowing that he was looking at her quite intently.  “Yes, I was. I always said I did not want a marriage, that my writings and my work would be enough to fill my life, but-” she reached out to cup his cheek.  “It would appear that I was very much mistaken.”

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingertips.  Then he tugged her against him and they both fell asleep, feeling quite content.

Dr. Smith, who Rose reminded herself she was allowed to call John, woke up before dawn, which surprised him greatly. He roused Rose and helped her back into her nightclothes, changing the sheets with expert efficiency before helping her get back into bed.  She was warm and groggy, and he wanted to crawl back into bed with her, but he could not. 

“I am off to see your parents,” he whispered, and she reached for him, eyes still closed. 

“Tell them I said hello.”

He chuckled. “I will not. They will know I was here.”

“Oh!  Right you are.  I suspect we will be in the library when you return.”

He bid her goodbye, giving her one last kiss before he finished dressing himself and left the bedroom.  

Ianto did not question his master’s early ride, mostly because Ianto did not  _ care  _ what Dr. Smith did.  He had the carriage ready in record time and John found his nerves mounting the closer they got to the Tyler estate.  

The sun was up by the time they reached their destination, and John knew that the lord and lady of the house would be awake.  When he approached the door, he felt his knees shake and he ordered his body to calm down. A swift knock brought another manservant who was decidedly not Jack, but instead a blond man with green eyes and an expression that was just plain dull.

John suddenly felt a rush of pain for Rose, that she could not even see the most mundane of things, could not make those observations for herself.  He would have to work harder to find a cure for her blindness. 

“Sir?” The boy asked, and John realized he had probably been staring for too long.

“Right!  Sorry. I’m Dr. John SMith, I’m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Tyler.”

“Yes, sir, they’ve just finished breakfast and are in the sitting room.” 

The boy led John in, and Mr. and Mrs. Tyler looked up at him in shock.

“What have you done to my daughter now?” Mrs. Tyler snapped, and the blond boy took this as a reason to excuse himself from the room. John almost wished he could go with him.

“I haven’t done anything to your daughter.  We had a conversation last night that I would like to discuss with the two of you,” John said, shifting a bit awkwardly.

Pete gave a scolding look to his wife.  “Have a seat, Dr. Smith. Is our daughter still in your home?”  
“Yes,” John said as he sat. “I asked her if she wanted to come with me, but she wanted to continue to help the spirit in my home.”

“That sounds like her,” Pete laughed, “but I must confess you have piqued my curiosity. What did the two of you speak of?”

John took a deep breath. “We have discussed entering into a courtship with the intent to marry. I suggested it last evening and she agreed that we would make a good match and it is one we both wish to pursue.”  He stopped and took a deep breath, not bearing to look at either of them.

“You… Wish to marry Rose?” Jackie asked, squinting at John.  He lifted his eyes and nodded. 

“I’m terribly fond of her, Mrs. Tyler.” he said, hoping his urgency was showing through his words. “I think she is wonderfully kind and wonderful and beautiful.  She has a spark in her that very few women have.”

“And she is blind,” Jackie snapped.

John frowned at her. “Not to me.  She still sees the world as clear as I do, Mrs. Tyler.  And besides, I  _ am  _ a doctor, so I am searching a cure for her blindness.” 

Pete smiled at John’s words.  “Well, Jacks, you were quite worried about someone not courting Rose because of her blindness, but that does not seem to be a concern any longer.”

“But do you wish to court her for the right reasons?” Jackie demanded.

John sighed and looked to Pete. “Mr. Tyler, I wish to marry your daughter because I find myself falling in love with her.  If that is not a good reason, then I do not know of a better one.”

“I agree,” Pete said, and turned to his wife expectantly.  “And what do you think?”

Jackie was still regarding John with a level stare, as though she was waiting for him to shake or jump. He did not, just watched her carefully and waited for her to finish her assessment of him.  Finally, she wrinkled her nose, but nodded. 

“We should like to see the two of you interact more,” She said, “To be sure you are not after money or anything else that could be incriminating to Rose’s honor.”

John nearly blushed at just how they had interacted the night before, but fought it down as best he could.  “I agree. And we should get to know each other as well, if we are to be related.”

“Perhaps you and your sister could come to dinner some night soon,” Jackie said primly, as though it simply pained her to say it.  

“I think she would love that,” John said honestly, “And perhaps she could bring her husband as well.”

“Brilliant!” Pete clapped his hands. “I have to tell you, Dr. Smith, I never thought I would see a man who could get Rose to settle down.  And I can certainly see that she cares for you.”  
Jackie reluctantly nodded. 

Beaming, Pete reached out and shook John’s hand.  “All things considered, I think you have made a wonderful first impression and will make an excellent match for Rose.  Welcome to the family, my boy.”

John breathed out a sigh or relief.  That was one trial passed, anyway.

He just found that he could not wait to get back to her.


	14. Chapter 14

Lynda woke Rose and helped her dress for the day, telling Rose she had put her in a lovely lilac colored dress.  Rose smiled and thanked Lynda before letting her lead her up to the library. Jack was already there when they got there, setting up Rose’s things.  

“The energy is much better in the room today,” Rose acknowledged, feeling a bit better about the whole thing.  She moved to sit down next to Jack, feeling quite tired and feeling like she needed to lay down for awhile. Though the energy was nice, it was still very heavy and she felt it pushing down on her.  

“I am not sure where to begin,” She admitted.  “In my knowledge of astral planes there is nothing in regards to moving from plane to plane.”

“It is alright, Miss Tyler,” Jack said, trying to be reassuring.  “I know you and I know little about this, but I do believe will be able to figure it out together.”

“Lynda, are you still in here?” Rose called out.

“Yes, Miss,” came a voice from behind her.

“If things start to get hairy, I want you to leave,” Rose said firmly, “I will not have anything happen to you.  That is non-negotiable.”

Lynda was quiet or a moment, as though hesitant, but finally said softly, “Yes, Miss.”

Jack patted Rose’s hand, a silent reassurance that he was still there, and Rose smiled in what she hoped was his direction.  

“Call upon the spirit, then,” Rose said primly, settling her hands in her lap. “I want to try working without the crystals… Being open and honest with the spirit.”

Jack sighed. “If you are sure.  I still think you should onto one for protection-”

“No,” Rose said firmly.  “I want to be trusting. There is not much more it can do to me.  I know… It is not fair, and if you want to hold a crystal you can, but I will not be doing so.”

Rose shut Jack out, then, pushing away thoughts of him and trying to call on the spirit, welcoming it into the space but not into her.  It took several minutes, as, oddly enough, the spirit seemed to be afraid of her. It peeked out from behind barriers, not wanting to get too close to Rose, feeling that she was frustrated and perhaps fed up with the whole situation.

“You do not need to be afraid of us,” Jack said, breaking through Rose’s concentration and saying exactly what she was thinking anyway.  “We just want to help you get back to your lover.”

The spirit made its presence known in the room, then, still holding itself back from being too invasive.  Rose smiled a bit, feeling relieved. 

“Can you show us what plane your lover is on?” Rose asked, “Show us where to find them.”

It took several moments, but Rose gasped as she saw in her mind’s eye a picture so clear that she thought her sight had returned for a moment, and the crushing blow of that realization made her slump.  

The picture was of a woman, brunette with shining green eyes and a beautiful smile.  Rose found herself smiling in return at the sheer joy on the woman’s face. It was so odd, to be able to see again, even if it was this one moving image.  The woman was laughing, clearly looking at someone she cared for deeply. A little inkling of contentedness floated from the spirit. 

“Oh, that is her?” she asked.  She felt an affirmative feeling from the spirit and sighed. “She’s lovely.”

Jack shuffled around next to her and settled in.  “Do you know how we can help you move planes? Any thoughts you have would be incredibly helpful to us.”  

The spirit sent things of the negative, except for one very firm idea: A push.  A very big push, if the force of the spirit’s thoughts were anything to go by. If the thought was strong enough, the spirit could find his lover, or partner, Rose thought it must be. 

 Rose received a rush of thoughts, all stumbling through her mind.  If she and Jack could mentally push him, they could realistically  _ shove  _ him to another plane, and he could guide himself to the right plane.  The spirit also made it very clear that it was a male, pushing that furiously onto Rose.  

“Oh, you had a child?” Rose asked, “Who?  Are they still living?”

The spirit sent a faint inkling of joy, sorrow, and regret all at once.  Rose was struck, cold seeping through her, as she realized what was happening, and who this spirit was.  The sorrow of the spirit weighed heavily on her, and she put her head in her hands, not knowing how to react at all.  She blew out a long sigh.

“We cannot send him away yet,” Rose said softly, wishing for all the world that she could.  However, she could not force herself to do it. She needed there to be a final moment, and the spirit needed to have peace.  When the two were together, they got move on from the spirit world all together, but not before then.

“Why not?” Jack asked impatiently, quite ready to wash his hands of the entire situation. “Who is it?”

Rose scrunched her eyelids, not sure what to think, what to do at all.  “It is Dr. Smith’s father. We should wait for him to return.”

“Where has he gone?” Jack demanded. 

“That is none of your concern,” Rose snapped, not wanting Jack to know what she had done the night before. Not that he would not approve, but it would be far too embarrassing and incredibly difficult to explain.  “The point is, we must wait for him to come home and say goodbye.”

Jack faced away from her again, she could feel him redirecting his attention. “I- Fine.  We will wait. Perhaps we should wait downstairs, where there is something to eat.” Jack got to his feet, clearly frustrated with Rose for not wanting to continue until Dr. Smith returned. 

Lynda came to help Rose to her feet, since Jack was already out of the library.  Rose frowned but let Lynda hold onto her, though she still held her cane in front of her.

“He is angry,” Rose whispered.

“He will get over it,” Lynda reassured her, patting her hand, “Jack does not stay angry for very long, and I do not believe this will be any different.  He wants to be rid of the whole situation. Do you not?”

Rose bit her lip, “Of course I do.  I just want Dr. Smith to be able to say goodbye to his father. I received that message so clearly, I know it was him, and I am sure Dr. Smith will want to know that.”

“I agree with you, but Jack does not think with the amount of emotions that we do,” Lynda said, “He thinks logically most of the time. It is why his feelings never get hurt.”

Rose laughed. “You may be right on that account.”

Jack had one of the manservants of the house fix breakfast for them all, since none of them had eaten, and they were halfway through the meal when Dr. Smith returned. 

“We have something to tell you,” Jack said, and Rose could practically feel his anxiety ratcheting up.  

“Well, I was hoping to talk to Miss Tyler for a moment first,” he said, “If that is alright with you.”

Jack, remembering his station, changed his approach almost immediately. “Of course sir.  Lynda and I will go back to the library and wait for you there.”

“Thank you,” Dr. Smith said.  Rose felt him approach the table and turn the chair next to her so he would be facing her when he sat. She turned her face towards him, wanting him to at least feel like she was looking at him. 

“How… Was the visit to my parents?”

“Just fine,” Dr. Smith said, “They agreed to let me court you with the intent to marry.”

Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise.  “Really?”

“Yes!” Dr. Smith laughed, “I was just as surprised as you, really.  Your mother put up a bit of a fight, but when I told her what I thought of you, and that I wanted to marry you, she realized I was quite fit to be your husband.”

Rose giggled, thrilling slightly at the word.  “Is anyone around currently?” She asked softly. 

“No, it is just you and I at the moment.”

Rose smiled and reached out to touch his face, finding where to lean in and kiss him.  He hummed happily and kissed her back, though he pulled back after just a few moments. She stroked her fingers down to his neck and pulled further back.

“I have something to tell you as well,” she said softly, “It is… not as good, but I believe it could be good.”

“Ever the optimist, you,” Dr. Smith teased slightly, touching her arm to anchor her.  She smiled, appreciating it quite a bit. She held onto him and leaned back in her chair. 

“Well, we know who the spirit is…” Rose said slowly, “And as it turns out, we must push him into the astral plane his lover is in.  But as it turns out, it was not his lover, but his… Wife.”

“Oh?” Dr. Smith’s voice was surprised. “What is it then?  Who?”

Rose closed her eyes. “John,” she whispered, “It’s your father.”

Dr. Smith sat back, his breath sucking in.  “Are you certain it is him? Why did I not feel him?”

“You are still new to this,” Rose reassured him, “Of course, it is quite common that they would barely show themselves, as a spirit.  It could be embarrassment, or something of the effect. He might not want you to know.”

Dr. Smith sagged into his chair, still holding onto Rose.  “I… Oh, Rose.”

“What is it?”

“My father  _ blinded  _ you, Rose,” He said, “How could he?!”

“He was afraid, John, he did not understand anything that was happening to him, and he still doesn’t.  It is not his fault. What we are going to do is say goodbye to him, and let him be with your mother.”

“He is searching for my mother?”

“Yes,” Rose nodded. “Dark hair and green eyes?”

“He showed her to you?” John asked softly.  “You saw her?” He took her hands in his. “He gave you your sight back?” 

“I do not think he can,” Rose said softly, “I think what happened was very different to that,” she blew out her cheeks. “John, I will not be getting my sight back.  We must accept that.”

John squeezed her hand. “I will not be giving up on it, Rose, I promise.  I won’t. Please, Rose, we can try to find a way, I’ll continue in my studies for it.”

Rose laughed softly, “That is hardly the point,” she said softly, “I do not want this to be a focus for you, it will make you grow old quickly.”

He kissed her forehead. “I am incredibly old, my dear.”

She laughed, reaching for her cane and got to her feet.  “Come now, we must be going upstairs. I held off on the push so that you could speak to him one last time. I thought you might like to.”

“I- I would love to,”  he said, “My father… I had thought I would never speak to him again, which would have been a rather normal assumption, I should think.”  He laughed and pulled her hand, lacing her arm through his. “I find I do not know what to feel,” he admitted.

“There is no wrong thing to feel,” Rose said softly, “This is very difficult.  I do believe that whatever you are feeling is the exact right thing to feel.” 

He held onto her arm quite tightly, which she did not mind at all. “I am sorry,” he said, “About everything that has happened.  But… I am very, very happy that I have you.”

“I am happy that I have you, too,” she replied.  “But we will fix this, all of it. I promise. Now.  Let’s go say goodbye.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY it took me so long to update this. It's almost finals and I have been very stressed. I hope this chapter makes up for it!

 

Dr. Smith held onto Rose a bit more than was necessary, and he should have been thinking about her blindness, but she was having no trouble guiding them.  She felt him shake slightly and could not begin to think what he must be going through. She patted his hand and he inhaled shakily.

“Donna-”

“Do you really think Mrs. McAvoy will be able to reach here today?” Rose asked softly, “And your father will suffer longer if he is not reunited with your mother.”

He let out a breath, one that was trembling and made Rose want to wrap him up in an embrace and never let him go, even if he asked her to.  

“I suppose you are right,” he said softly, “By the time Ianto were to get to her estate, it would be late, and I could not do that to her.” he squeezed Rose’s arm. “I am simply lucky our estates are so close together so I could see your parents.”

She chewed her bottom lip and nodded. “I suppose we are very lucky,” she mused, needing to acknowledge that that was true.  She tilted her head against his shoulder briefly before straightening and letting him take over the lead to the library. 

     There was quiet settled between them. It did not feel awkward, as perhaps it should have. He just held onto her, seemingly pondering everything that had happened to him. She felt terribly for him, and tilted her head against his shoulder, trusting him to lead them towards the library. 

      When they entered the room, Rose could feel Jack’s upset at the whole situation and she cringed. She knew that Jack wanted this to be over and done with by now, but she just could not do it.  She knew if John found out that the spirit was his father and she’s not let him say goodbye, he’d never forgive her. 

       Then again, she thought, he probably would forgive her, but she did not want dishonesty to begin brewing between them, especially if they were to marry. 

       “Come sit with me,” she said softly, leading him towards where Jack sat on the floor, supposedly surrounded by her things. 

        He followed behind her wordlessly, sitting when she did, helping her get comfortable.  She offered a smile in what she hoped was his direction and pulled her skirts out, adjusting them around her.  

“Take my hand,” she said, reaching for him.  He took her hand without hesitation, holding onto her with more force then strictly necessary.  His hands were a bit sweaty as well, and she wished with all her heart that they were alone so she could reassure him.  

“Miss Tyler, are you ready?” Jack asked, clearly feeling a bit more comfortable with the whole thing.  She nodded, hoping Jack was looking at her. 

“Here, Dr. Smith, this physical connection is going to allow the connection to come clearer to you. I know you can feel the presence of the spirit, but you will not be strong enough to hear him without me.”

“Alright,” Dr. Smith said softly, and Rose wondered if he was going to get nervous again. She hoped he would stay and say goodbye, but if he needed to leave, she was not going to stop him.  

Jack adjusted what Rose assumed were candles by the sounds they were making, and a silence fell over the room that would have been painful if Rose did not have a hold on Dr. Smith.  It felt better than floating in the dark abyss that was her life now. She pulled his hand a little closer to her, hoping that Jack would either not notice or be nice enough to not say anything at all.  

“Miss Tyler, how do we call him?” Dr. Smith asked. 

“Well, for you, just think about him, but Jack and I have to call upon him in a different way.”

“You will… Have to teach me someday,” Dr. Smith said quietly. 

Rose smiled. “If you like.”

She and Jack focused in then, and she gasped when she felt the rush of the man’s presence.  He was very clearly Dr. Smith’s father now, as the spirit held some sort of melancholy happiness. 

“Hello,” Rose said, “We’ve brought your son, sir.”

Dr. Smith cleared his throat.  “I- I did not know that it was you,” he said softly, “I can feel him near, but I cannot see him.”

“I cannot either,” Rose confided, “He just showed me your mother, not himself.  You may say whatever you wish.’

Dr. Smith shifted where he sat, holding onto Rose’s hand a little tighter.  “We want to send you back to mother, to be with her,” he said, “Though I am sure Miss Tyler has told you that… Father, I love you very much, and I am… Sorry.”

A wave of fatherly love and pride swept through the room, and even Jack was affected by it, wondering for the first time in years where his own father was.  Rose smiled, noting when Dr. Smith’s hand twitched a bit. She had an idea of what he might be feeling, like he wanted to embrace his father but could not. How terrible, she thought to herself, just wanting to gather him into her arms and never let him go.  Soon enough, she thought to herself, she would try to be alone with him when this was all over. 

“I do not know what to say,” Dr. Smith said, “I cannot think of anything that means enough.”

A query was sent through the room.  

“Donna,” Dr. Smith said, somehow understanding the question.  “Well. She is living with her husband, and father, we want you to be with mother, and by the time she got here…”

There was an image then, one clear as day that flashed in all three of their minds.  A man who looked a bit like John with ginger hair, holding a baby with the same fiery locks.  It was a memory, projected, and a very sweet and tender one at that. 

“Oh,” Dr. Smith sighed, “I’ll tell her.  I will.”

“Alright, shall we get ready for the push?” Jack asked. 

Dr. Smith made a sound that sounded noncommittal, but said finally, “Yes, I suppose we should.”

Something unspoken went between the two, something that drifted between father and son, and another query was sent specifically to Dr. Smith, blocked from both Rose and Jack.  Dr. Smith laughed at whatever the query was and said in reply to his father, “Yes, I do believe she is. I will. No… No, I don’t think so. That is alright. I will tell her.”

Rose could’ve let them talk forever, just to let him experience the relationship with his father that he was so sorely missing. She hoped, a bit selfishly, that he would begin to be close with her own father, that perhaps he could think of him as his father too.  If they were to be married, after all…

She felt herself getting distracted and wrenched herself back to the situation at hand.  “Alright, are you sure you’re ready?” Rose asked him.

“Yes.”

She and Jack focused in and Jack started taking deep breaths, focusing and forcing over and over again.  The spirit was ready to leave, he released the library, released his children, and Rose felt her head begin to hurt as they had to push him to a different plane.  There was pain behind it, and Rose found herself crying out, trying to get through to the next plane. It began to open up and Rose could view light for just a few seconds and she felt the vanishing of the spirit. 

In her mind’s eye, she saw, quite clearly, the woman who was clearly Dr. Smith’s mother running from the light, her arms outstretched to catch his father.  They embraced and the light tinkling of whispers were heard. Rose felt tears of joy overwhelm her and she squeezed Dr. Smith’s hand, wishing for all the world that she could see his face, and speak to him freely.  

The couple turned and waved, smiles on their faces, and Dr. Smith’s mother blew a kiss before they walked back into the light, hand in hand.  

Rose’s sight left with them, and she sighed.  She had wished that her sight would be returned with the resolution of the situation.  She had not even realized she had gotten her hopes up until they were decidedly dashed. She slumped, her posture terribly unladylike, but she could not even fathom being upset about  _ that.   _

Jack, sensing that things were heavy in the room, and also sensing the need for the two of them to be alone, decided to pack up Rose’s things and leave the room.  He did it loudly, so she would know he was vacating the space. 

Once the library door shut behind him, Dr. Smith moved closer to her, her knees pressing up against her skirts. She pulled her hands from him and reached out to cup his cheeks.  “You’re crying,” She remarked, stroking her thumbs over his cheekbones. 

“They are… Not sad tears,” he said softly, “I find myself relieved. I never thought I would see them happy again, and it is nothing short of wonderful.”  He reached out and settled his hand on her knee. “I see, my dear, that though you might not realize it, you have been crying as well.” 

She turned her face away from him but could not bear to release her hold on him.  She did not want to tell him why she was crying, that she thought she might get her sight back with the resolution of the situation.  She had been so terribly wrong. 

After a few moments, she shuffled close to him, tripping up over her skirts and falling into his arms.  She wrapped her arms around his neck burying her face in his neck. The smell of him was reassuring, the feel of his arms closing around her.  It was wonderful, and so calming, to be held by him once more. 

He sighed in what seemed like relief and pressed his cheek to her hair, one arm rubbing up and down her back. 

“You are alright, though?” She whispered against his skin.  “You are not upset? Do you need to cry a little more?”

He laughed. “No, I do not think I need to cry any more.  I am incredibly content to hold you,” he whispered. 

She settled firmly against him, feeling his heart beat steadily against her chest and his breath against her neck.  It was so reassuring, and they sat in each other’s arms for several minutes, not saying anything at all, not  _ needing  _ to say anything.  The two of them fic like two pieces from the same cloth.  It was perfect, and she knew he was going to make her quite happy. 

“I have a question,” she asked finally.

“What is that?”

“What did your father say to you about me?” She whispered.  

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “He said that you are a fantastic woman, and that I should take good care of you.  He also apologized. He said no amount of regret would be enough for what he did to you.”

Rose pursed her lips, not wanting to cry about it, not wanting to ruminate in having a terrible situation. 

“I do not hold it against him,” she said softly, “I promise.”

“I know you do not,” Dr. Smith said softly.  He was quiet for a moment. “Stay another night. Let me hold you.”

That sounded so wonderful that she could not refuse. “I suppose Jack could go home, and Lynda could stay…  I have to have one of them with me.”

“Fine, as long as I can have you tonight.” 

“And what will our pretense be for me staying another night?” Rose asked smartly.  

He hummed. “I have found new research, I can say I need your help with it.  Besides, if we are to be courting…”

“There will be no chaperone with us tonight, Dr. Smith,” She said firmly, but in a teasing sort of way.  She tilted her chin up and he kissed her, bringing one hand up to frame her face and hold her there. 

She had heard of the drugs that people took for leisure, but this was something she had never experienced before.  It crawled through her bones and left her weak as he thoroughly mapped out her mouth. Not for the first time, she wondered if he would continue to be content with a blind girl. 

With a twist of his hand at her back and his tongue against her lip, she decided she no longer cared.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets ready to stay another night at the Smith estate, Dr. Smith proposes what might be a solution to Rose's blindness, and I apologize for not posting in so long.

Surprisingly, Jack was willing to let Rose stay another night, which she had not been expecting, thinking that he would be protective of her.  His voice was soft when he relented though, and Lynda was eager to spend more time with those who worked on Dr. Smith’s estate, as they were kind and paid her plenty of attention.

Besides, both Jack and Lynda knew what it was like to go on a tryst, or to have a lover, and they had agreed between the two of them to allow the couple to be discreet and together in whatever way they wished. 

Rose and Dr. Smith, however, had no idea that anyone knew about their physical relationship, and they lay together in the library, holding each other and little else.  She felt awkward laying like this, her skirts bunched up around her legs, but with her head on his chest she was willing to overlook it. 

“I feel as though I could hold you forever,” he said softly, his hand creeping under the back of her dress to touch skin. 

“Hm,” She replied, not wanting to tell him what she was thinking about, that perhaps he might grow tired of her.  She did not want him to think too hard about their relationship, that perhaps he would not want his children to have a blind mother.  How terrible that would be. 

He trailed his fingers up and down her neck, and her eyes fluttered shut, not that it mattered.  She wrapped her arm around his waist and tugged, holding him closer. It was very nice, to simply be with him in such a way. 

“You will have to sneak into my room tonight,” She said, “After Lynda is finished readying me for bed.”

Dr. Smith nodded against her head, wanting to make sure she felt the movement but not feeling the need to speak.  Of course he would know that he had to wait, but she needed to remind herself, since she only wanted to be closer to him as soon as possible.  She liked having him close, more than she liked to admit. She just wanted to have him next to her always, waking up next to her every day. 

They lay in silence for what felt like ages, but Rose actually had no idea on the passage of time, since she could no longer see the sky.  She tapped him on his side. 

“Yes, Rose?”

“What does the sky look outside the window?” She asked him softly, feeling a bit embarrassed to be asking at all. 

“It’s pink,” he whispered.  “Quite lovely, actually. Orange, and pink… A little bit of yellow.”  His fingers came up to stroke through her hair, and she sighed happily, adjusting her head on his chest.  

“It sounds so pretty,” she whispered.  

“It is pretty,” he remarked, turning to press a kiss to the crown of her head.  “So are you.”

She thumped his chest gently. “Charmer.”

“Mm,” he made sure to wrap both arms around her and tugged her so she was partially on top of him, which was a bit more comfortable than the way that they had been laying before.  “I do try to be. But only to you, mind.”

“You do charm me,” She admitted sleepily.

“Oh, before you go to sleep, you’ll have to have a bit of dinner.  Come on, I’m sure something is being cooked up downstairs for us.” 

They slowly stood, Dr. Smith helping Rose to her feet.  “Do you think you’ll write about this experience?” he asked her softly.

She frowned. “Well, I would not be the one writing it, would I?”  Feeling him stiffen, she sighed, resting a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said.  I try not to be bitter, I really do.”

He  pulled her into an embrace and she settled against him, feeling quite guilty for snapping at him. “I forget sometimes,” he said softly, “That sometimes putting up a strong front is just that: a front.”

She fought back tears she had not realized were creeping up on her.  “I’m being foolish, being upset while you are mourning for your father.”

“I have already mourned for my father,” Dr. Smith replied.  “This is not mourning. This was goodbye. And it was much nicer than the funeral and all the other things you do when you lose a loved one. You have every right to be disappointed.”

“You do not even know what I am disappointed about.”

“I can guess,” he offered, “And even if I couldn’t, I would still be willing to support your emotions.  You are human.”

She tilted her chin up to kiss the underside of his jaw. “I am not sure what I did to deserve someone like you, but I hope to continue to do it.”

He giggled, a sound that was very becoming and adorable on him, and kissed her forehead. “Come on, downstairs with us!”

After dinner they retired to the gardens, where the cool breeze was just what Rose needed to calm herself.  She leaned her head on John’s shoulder, not really caring if anyone saw them or not. Word would spread fast that they were in a courtship, and she knew if anyone asked jack would say that he had been with them the whole time.  

Rose liked hearing the birds chirp, listening to the music that nature gave to them.  She listened as closely as she could, since John was not speaking. She did not mind. It was nice to just be silent with him.  Of course, the silence could not last too long, since they were quite good at talking. 

“I am very much looking forward to sharing a bed with you tonight,” he told her softly, as though he was embarrassed to admit it, “I must confess I have never been so at ease I was when in your arms.”

Rose found herself smiling, for truly, there was no other way to be except dreadfully happy.  At least until the next wave of doubt struck her down. “I was very at ease when I was held by you as well.  Though we do not have to… Tonight, if you are still grieving-”

“I told you, I am done grieving.  I want to be with you tonight. In every way possible, my dear.  We are betrothed now, so it is a little less wicked.”

“You were not so bold last time.”

He jostled her shoulder gently.  “As you said. We speak to spirits.  It cannot get much more sinful than that.”

She threw her head back and let out a throaty laugh, pleased that his inhibitions had finally lowered when it came to their physical relationship.  She had known he was nervous and was pleased when that seemed to no longer be the case. 

She could tell he was leading her somewhere secluded by the way the sounds around her were changing, and how much more clearly she could hear his footsteps and even his breathing.  “Where are we?” she asked him softly, tugging on his arm.

“We are under the canopy of vines that my father had built for my mother,” John said softly, turning to her and holding her by the waist. “A secluded little corner. There is a marble bench, we can sit on it and listen to the world around us.”

“Well.. You can watch the world, if you like.”

“I would not want to make you feel unincluded.”

“You make me feel included in everything,” she remarked.  “When I am with you, I forget that I cannot see.”

He kissed her then, and since she knew that they were alone, she kissed him back firmly, reaching her hands up to hold onto the back of his neck.  He grounded her in a way she would never be able to explain to anyone, and she wasn’t sure she would want to. He was just for her, after all. 

Her doubt was pushed aside as his arms wrapped all the way around her, holding her close, crushing her skirts against his legs.  Their kiss grew heated and he stifled several gasps before pulling back from her lips and kissing her cheek, moving to her jaw and the base of her neck. 

She wound her hand into his hair, tilting her head back.  “You said you had some research you wished for me to look at?” She remarked, only now remembering it.  

“You want to look at my research  _ now?”  _ He asked incredulously, not moving his mouth away from her skin.

She laughed and wriggled against him, which just made him hold onto her tighter.  He smiled against her neck, and she liked feeling it, knowing that he was smiling.  He did not pull away from her, just continued ravishing her neck and guided her to the stone bench, helping her to sit. 

“What are you doing?” Rose whispered as he finally pulled away from her.  

He got to his knees in front of her, running his hands up under her skirts.  Rose wshivered, reaching down to put her hands on his shoulders. He ran his fingers along her thighs, under all her layers.  She hadn’t realized how much she missed being touched like this, touch by him. 

It hadn’t been very long, but it had been long enough.  Rose bent down to kiss him and continued to kiss him as his hands grew more bold.  She muffled her sounds against him, trying to listen when he shushed her gently.

“No one can see us?” Rose asked finally as he was about to disappear under her skirts.  

“I promise, Rose, no one knows about this spot but me, and no one will find us.”

***********

Later on, but only once John had assured her numerous times that her hair was fine, and he should’ve been the one worried about  _ his  _ hair considering what he’d just done, they went to his private lab.  It was small and intimate, from what Rose could feel and hear. There was a distinct smallness in the way that sound echoes, and the air seemed a bit stale.  

“I’ve been studying ways to cure blindness,” he said quietly, “I’ve developed a pad that one wears over the eyes to heal damage.  It is a bit cold and wet and ideally you wear them overnight, until they dry up.”

“I can wear them tonight then, and you can observe,” Rose said.  “Correct?” 

“Correct, but first I need you to wear a bit of the material on your arm tonight so that I know you will not react to it.  You could be allergic to it, after all.”

She wore the patch he made for her on her wrist, and wrinkled her nose up when she felt how damp it was.  He kissed her hand after applying the patch and stepped back from her, starting to rustle about in the corner.

“What are you doing?” Rose asked finally.

“I am putting the eye patches in a container to keep them wet and sterilized, and I will be taking it up to your room. Once I get in bed with you I will not be inclined to leave it to come and get them.”

She laughed at his blatant honesty and waited for him to come over and take her hand, leading her towards her room.  Rose was hyper aware of the patch on her arm, but it did not affect her or hurt at all, and so hope arose within her that she was not allergic to it.  When they reached her door he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I will send Lynda up, tell her that you are ready for bed.  Put this box on your bedside table, I shall have enough trouble sneaking in without holding onto something.”

She laughed and took the box from him.  “Until the dark of night should cover us, my dear.”  

He dared to lean forward and kiss her, a kiss much softer than those of earlier in the day.  “Until the dark of night should cover us… And nothing else.”

She gasped at his boldness and swatted him, making him laugh. He released her gently and as she heard his footsteps retreat, she went into her room, her heart soaring with excitement at the thought of another night with him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this'll be one or two more chapters! 
> 
> Enjoy!

John snuck into her room later that night.  A knock at the door let her know he was there, as she was not expecting anyone else in the night.  She knew his footsteps when he came in and she sat up in bed, waiting for him to come to her. 

He approached her and took her hand in his, kissing the back of her knuckles.  “Hello, my dear,” he said softly.

“Hello.”  She felt herself beaming like a fool and could not bring herself to stop it.  

He touched her arm where the patch sat and hummed happily.  “Very good, you do not appear to be allergic to the patch.” He removed it slowly and ran his thumb over the piece of skin.  “We can try them on your eyes tonight, if you would like.”

“I would very much like that,” Rose said, and reached for him. “But not yet.  Here, come here.”

She felt the bed dip as he sat next to her legs.  He leaned forward, cupping her cheeks, and kissed her softly.  His hands slid slowly to her hair and started to lean over her. She smiled against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him up against her.  She felt him as he shrugged his jacket off and crawled completely over her, trying his best to remove her sheets from her body. 

“Is it dark?” Rose asked softly.

“Yes,” he said, “I do not know why you wish for it to be so dark.”

She kissed his cheek and felt her way to his jawline. “I do not wish for you to be able to see me, I do not know what I look like.”

“You look beautiful,” he told her, and kissed her again.

Satisfied, they spend several minutes wrapped up in each other, kissing and stroking each other.  Rose pulled at his clothing until he pulled off of her and began to rid himself of his clothing. She untied her nightgown and tugged it off when he removed himself from her to take his trousers off.  

“You… For me, in the garden. Can I?”  
“Not tonight,” John said softly, climbing on top of her again. “When you can see again.”

“Why then?”

He kissed her softly. “I want you to feel safe,” he murmured, and she felt her heart fill with warmth at the thought.  He was so gentle with her, each touch gentle and loving, until she was crying out under him for him to just  _ touch her.   _

“In good time,” John whispered. 

Rose twisted her hips underneath him to throw him off balance and threw him off of her, not hesitating to climb on top of him.  She fumbled to take his hands and placed them on her hips. He sat up under her and kissed her collarbone, fixing his mouth on a point below her collar.  

She sighed, letting her head fall back and running her fingers up through his hair.  His hands drew her closer and she cried out, tugging his mouth firmly against her. His own groan was muffled by her skin.  

“I love being near you,” she said softly, hoping he could hear her alright.  “You make me feel so safe.”

“All I want to do is make you feel safe,” he pulled back from her, cupping her cheeks and peering up into her face.  “Let me make love to you.” 

She nodded, holding his hand against her face.  “Please.” 

**********

What felt like hours later, Rose was drifting of when John shook her arm.  “No, we must apply the patches before you go to sleep.”   
“Mm.  Or, you could just lay here with me,” she said, tugging on his shoulder to try and get him to cuddle up next to her.  He laughed and squirmed away from her, and she heard him open and close the drawer of the bedside table, where she had placed the box. 

She could hear what he was doing, the rustling and squeaking and the ripping of tape.  He was preparing to apply the patches to her eyes. Sighing, she lay on her back and pulled the covers up to her chin.  “And how is it you have so much energy after being so fantastic?”  
He snorted. “The real question is how you are so tired when all you have to do is lay there!” 

She laughed with him, knowing he was only joking, and reached out, pleased when she was able to tell where his shoulder was to smack it.  He laughed when she made contact, and pushed her when she tried to roll closer to him. 

“I am very serious, Rose, we’ve got to get these on you.”  He leaned over and kissed her softly, waiting until her hand touched the back of his neck to pull back.  She pouted at him for his benefit and was pleased when he responded by giving her another peck.

“Okay, go ahead and put them on now,” she said softly.  He took her hand and kissed her knuckles before laying her hand on the bed next to her.  She heard a bit more rustling as John got the pieces ready. She felt the chill of the pad touch her eyes and she gasped, listening to John’s murmured assurances.

“I apologize, Rose, I did not know they would be quite so cold.”  He taped them to her temples, kissing her cheekbones under each eye as he finished up.  “Perfect,” he said softly.

“Will we know in the morning if they have worked?” She asked softly.  

“Perhaps,” he said, “I do not know, my dear.  This is not a process I am familiar with. It is my own invention.  It could be that I am just a lovesick fool who dreams of giving his beloved her sight back.”

She smiled.  “You are a charmer, John Smith.”

“Oh! I do try to be.  But only for you, of course.”

He set everything up on her face so that everything would stay where it was supposed to be all night.  It was quiet in the room, and the only sound was John breathing softly, so close to her face that she could feel it. If her eyes weren’t already closed, she was sure they would have fluttered shut under his touches.  He had an intoxicating effect on her, and she hardly knew what to do about it. It was clear he was not about to get intimate with her, as now he was playing the role of the very professional doctor.

“Are you still naked?”  She asked suddenly.

“Yes.”

“Mm.”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“I just want to try to picture it,” She said, and then frowned a little. “The problem is, I am already starting to forget what you look like at all, and I have never had the pleasure of seeing you naked, as odd as that sounds.”

“I suppose it is odd,” he allowed, “And just so you are aware, it is quite normal that you are forgetting.  Visual memory does not last, and people who can no longer see forget what their loved ones look like.” He lay down next to her and and stroked her arm. “I am sorry.  I’m upsetting you.”

She shook her head just a little on the pillow. “I am not upset,” she said softly, “I do not want to have my hopes up for your method, but I also want to believe in you.” 

He was closer to her now, she felt him get closer and pull the blankets up on her.  He lay his head next to her, nose brushing her ear. “I know,” he whispered. “Go to sleep now, love.  I’ll wake you when those need to be removed.”  
Rose held his arm, wrapping it around her.  “Thank you,” She said, “For trying. For letting me… Be afraid.”

“I am afraid, too,” he said softly.  “I am afraid that you will no longer be able to see. I am afraid for you.”

She sighed, tilting her head towards him slightly.  “I am afraid you will realize you can do so much better than me,” she whispered. “I am afraid you will not want a blind woman raising your children.”

“I would be honored if a blind woman raised my children,” He said softly.  “I would be honored if we raised our children together. I will never grow tired of you.”

“You will have to take care of me.”

“You, so far, have taken care of yourself,” John pointed out.  “I have aided you minimally, besides with your cane.”

“I appreciate it,” She said softly.  

“Mm.”  He nuzzled closer to her. “I appreciate  _ you.”   _

She kissed his forehead and settled back on the pillows, sighing softly.  She felt more at ease now then she had in a very long time. She loved being near him, she really did, and having him laying on his side next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist, was a moment she thought she could live in forever.  

“Sleep,” He urged her, “We shall awake in the morning and see what you can see.”

She giggled. “That was terrible.”

“I am.. Often times terrible.”

“Not to me.”  
He hummed happily and snuggled closer to her, and she fell asleep, feeling dreadfully safe in his arms.  

When she woke up the next morning, John had shifted in the night and was now laying with his head pillowed on her chest, arm draped over her waist.  She smiled into the air, loving the feel of him, the feel of his breath coasting across her neck. She was itching to shake him to rouse him, and tell him to take the patches off her eyes.  

Breathing out a sigh, she grit her teeth. She needed to not grow so excited about it.  There was no reason it would work, this was just a trial, after all. She ran her fingers through his hair and just enjoyed touching him, and the easy silence that could occur even when he was asleep.  

He stirred against her a few moments later, pressing slow, lazy kisses to her chest.  She moaned softly as he moved to her neck, kissing and sucking at the delicate skin there.  He pulled back a little and let out a husky laugh.

“So sorry,” he said, “It appears I have woken up feeling a bit fresh.”  
“I don’t mind.”

He sat up and braced himself over her. “Shall we remove these?”  
“Yes.”

He took the patches off her, which had dried, and kissed both of her eyelids softly.  “Open your eyes, then.”

She did, furrowing her brows when she found that she could see light. She did not have her sight back, by any means, but when she turned towards John she could see him, silhouetted against the light.    
“I can see light,” she said softly.  “Not colors, or anything, but just shapes.  Just… A bit of shadows.”  
John let out a whoop before she heard him clap his hand over his mouth.  “Oh, Rose, that is brilliant! Simply brilliant!” He gave her a rather exuberant kiss on her lips.  “Now, I shall have to study further, since of course, since the patches will not work more than once, but!  It is a start. A lovely, beautiful start!” 

She reached for him and wrapped him in a hug, her arms tightly wound around his neck.  He held her about the waist, his nose pressed to her neck. 

They stayed in silence for several moments until there was a knock at the door and Lynda let herself in.  

“Miss Ty- Oh!  Oh my. Oh!” She turned and left, and Rose sat back on her heels, putting her hands over her mouth, giggling.  

“Lynda, I can explain!” She shouted.

“Quite all right, Miss Tyler! Many of the staff suspected, we just thought Dr. Smith would have returned to his own quarters by now!”  Lynda’s voice had laughter in it and Rose could tell that she wasn’t upset. “I shall return in the half hour, if that is alright with you!” 

“That’s quite fine, Lynda! Thank you!”

She collapsed into John’s arms in a fit of giggles and he laughed with her.  She still had a long way to go, but she felt ever so much better.


	18. Chapter 18

 

The morning was spent with John holding up fingers in front of Rose’s face at the breakfast table and begging her to read them.  She giggled and squinted, able to call out the right guess four out of five times. John was practically vibrating with excitement, and could hardly keep back from kissing her in front of all the servants.  

‘I must be going home,” she said softly, getting to her feet after breakfast.  She reached for her cane, pleased that she could make out the outline of it. “Come, now, walk me out?”

“I must confess that I do not want you to leave at all,” he said, coming around the table to take her hand.  “I wish you could stay here forever.”

She squeezed his hand and stepped a bit closer to him.  “I am… Sure that we will meet again. We are courting now, after all.”

“Practically engaged.”

“Technically, yes.”

He shrugged and she was pleased that she noted the motion. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it softly before escorting her to the door. She still tapped her cane on the ground as they went to the door, still needing to use it, but she could still see just a bit.  

He snuck a quick kiss to her lips at the door and she left, still smiling and blushing all the way.  

********

When Rose arrived home she was surprised to find that her parents were not upset with her and were in fact quite glad that she had finished her duty there. She decided it would be better not to tell them what had happened in regards to her sight, but she did share that Dr. Smith was in fact searching for a cure. 

“Well, as long as he is searching to right his wrong,” Mrs. Tyler said, crossing her arms over her chest.  

“It was not his fault,” Rose protested. “It was his father’s spirit, who did, in fact, blind me.  Now, I believe we have a courtship to plan.” 

Mr. Tyler laughed, “She has a bit of a point, my dear.  It is clear that Dr. Smith has very strong feelings for our daughter.”

Mrs. Tyler said nothing, and it was clear that she was trying to keep herself from saying anything at all.  Rose blew her cheeks out, looking quite discreetly at her mother’s posture, since she could see it. Her mother’s shoulders were a bit saggy, and Rose pursed her lips.  She did not want to make her any more upset, so she bit her tongue. 

“Well, Rose, I am sure you must be exhausted.  A paper arrived for you this morning, they heard what you were doing at the Smith estate and wanted to speak to you.  We told them to come back tomorrow.”

Rose frowned. “How did they know?”

“Mrs. McAvoy, most likely,” Mrs. Tyler chimed in, eager to be in on gossip.  “She has many popular friends, so she must have said something. And word travels very fast, my dear.” 

Rose sighed. “Well, I wish you’d have told me.  I would prefer Dr. Smith to be here for such an interview.”

“We can send Jack for him in the morning,” Mr. Tyler said, “For now, Rose, I think a bit of rest before dinner is in order for you.  You have bags under your eyes, my dear.”

Rose lifted her fingers to just under her eye and turned her face away. “Alright,” She admitted, acknowledging very privately to herself that she and Dr. Smith had been, well,  _ awake  _ for the majority of the night.  She was quite tired. 

Lynda helped ready her for her nap, humming happily as she brushed Rose’s hair.  Rose suddenly felt terribly awkward and closed her eyes. 

“Lynda, I feel I must apologize for this morning.”

“No, no, Miss Tyler, please do not apologize.  I will not deny that it was incredibly awkward, but… I am very happy to see you happy,  I truly am.” Lynda patted her shoulder. “One moment of awkwardness is worth seeing you happy, after all.  You deserve it.”

“Well, thank you Lynda.  I am glad that I have not scarred you for life.”  

Lynda let out a laugh and Rose heard her clap her hand over her mouth.  Rose joined in the laughter and the two chatted comfortably until Rose was dressed in a gown for sleeping.  She curled up under her covers, feeling uncomfortable without John at her side. She had only spent two nights at his side, but already she needed his warmth and his words of affection whispered to her.  

Her exhaustion, however, made it too difficult to stay awake, so she drifted off, arms wrapped around one of her pillows.  

She dreamed of him, of his arms wrapped around her back, holding her to him.  She breathed out and pressed her nose to his jaw. They did not speak, only laid together, pressed up against each other.  There was no urgency, just the touch of two people who craved that intimacy of simple touch. 

When she woke up alone, it was jarring and she reached out for him.  Rolling onto her back, she wondered what she could do to speed up this  courtship. She had thought she hadn’t wanted a marriage. She knew she was complete without a man, but it was not about being complete with him. It was taking on the world together, and wanting every moment to be shared with him, whether it be first hand or something she told him about later.  How wonderful it would be to share a life so fully.

She dressed once more and went downstairs, still running her cane in front of her but trying very hard to use it less, widening her eyes to see more of the outline of things around her.  She noted plants in the hall, the outline of the stair railing, and windows. It became easier, but she had to relax her facial muscles when she heard her parents approaching. 

“Rose, you’re awake!” her father said happily.  “We were just about to send Lynda to come and fetch you.”

“She seems to have it down to a science, the time I allow myself to nap.”  Rose laughed a little. “Have you sent a telegram to Dr. Smith saying that Jack will be coming to collect him tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Tyler said patiently.  “Yes, he knows that he is coming to the house tomorrow.  I expect he is far more excited than he is to talk to the newspaper.”

Rose smiled at that, hoping it was true.  She liked the idea that he might want to come and see her, that he might want to come and see her.  She had never thought a man would be excited to see her, and she never thought that she would want him to be. 

Dinner with her parents was more pleasant than she expected, and when Rose told her story of what happened at the Smith estate (Well, the parts with the spirit, anyway) her father was very interested, perhaps for the first time.

Her mother was still being quite difficult about the whole thing, but honestly, that was to be expected.  She’d never liked Rose’s work. That didn't stop Rose from talking about it and being excited, and since John was excited about it too… Well, it couldn’t get much better, really.  Perhaps they could be a team now, vanquishing spirits together.

*****************

The next morning, Rose had Lynda wake her early so she could do something special with her hair. Not that she could see it, mind, but it would be nice that he could.  She felt Lynda pulling it up into an elegant style, and smiled as she wished she could see his expression when he saw her. 

She’d forgotten the newspaper was coming at all, she was so excited to be near John.  When she heard Jack enter the room while they were having breakfast in the dining room, she turned towards him, seeing his silhouette in the doorway. 

“Dr. Smith has arrived.  Shall I tell him to wait in the parlor?”

“No,” Rose got to her feet and reached for her cane.  “I will come and greet him.”

“We will be along in a few moments,” Mr. Tyler said, and Rose nodded, noting the warning that her father was giving her.  She exited the room, taking Jack’s arm on the way out. 

Jack squeezed her arm. “And how have you been feeling, Miss Tyler?”

“As well as can be expected. I am a bit surprised that Dr. Smith has come for this interview on such short notice, though.”

“Mm.  Me too,” Jack acknowledged, “But, Miss Tyler, he is incredibly fond of you.  And might I formally congratulate you on your courtship.”

“You may,” Rose said, smiling. “I find myself eager to continue it.”

Jack laughed softly, “I am very happy for you,” he said, “There were times that I thought you would push away any man who came to you and you would choose to be alone.”

Rose had to nod. “Yes, I had thought that for a long time as well.”

She saw another silhouette, watched it turn around.  She smiled, realizing it had to be him. He bowed and she squinted, wishing for anything that she could see him better.”  She released Jack’s on and reached out for him.   
John caught her fingers in his hand and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.  “How lovely to see you, Miss Tyler. You look beautiful.” 

“Thank you.  I wish I knew enough to say the same about you.”  

John laughed and Rose heard Jack’s retreating steps, giving them a few moments alone.  Once she was sure he was gone, she reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. “I have been with you recently and yet it feels like an age.”

He took her hand and pressed a lingering, wet kiss to the palm. She shivered and took a step closer to him, dipping her other hand below where was appropriate.  John gasped and ended up laughing, and clutching her hand harder. 

“Rose, I think we should…   Your parents will be in shortly, and I wouldn’t want them to catch us in a compromising position.”

She removed her hand and pouted at him.  He sighed, giving in, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.  “Rose, I would love to stay and kiss you forever, and make love to you.  But we must be presentable for this newspaper.”

After one final kiss she pulled away from him and tapped her way to the couch.  She sat, holding her hand out for him. He sat next to her, taking her hand in a very modest fashion.  He was very good at pretending they had not been halfway to a full snog. 

“I know there is no reason to,” John said softly, “But I very much want for the two of us to move up the wedding.”

“Oh, you are already planning the wedding,” Rose teased.  He laughed, squeezing her fingers a little. 

“I confess that I am,” He said softly, “The more time I spend with you, the more I find that I desperately wish to be with you forever. I hope that does not frighten you.”

“Your affection for me could never frighten me,” Rose admitted, patting his hand.  “I am flattered, after all. And I am quite fond of you, as I am sure you know.”

He kissed her forehead. “I wish you could come and stay with me tonight, but there is no spirit to hold you there.”

“You could invent one, my love.”

“Ah!  That is the first time you have called me that.”  He seemed quite excited about it as well, and she blushed, turning her face away from him.  She scooted away from him, just because she was afraid she would crawl on top of him. 

She adjusted her posture. “Well, I am rather fond of you.”

They chatted, their heads close together, until Jack entered again.  

“Miss, your parents are accepting the reporter at the door.   Are the two of your ready to receive them?”

Rose blushed at the suggestion. “Yes, Jack.  Thank you for the warning.” She sat back from John and waited as Mr. and Mrs. Tyler walked in.  She knew their footsteps, and heard a third set as well. 

“Now, Miss Tyler, Dr. Smith, this is Mr. Ian Chesterton, he is a reporter from the Times!”   Jack introduced them, and Rose and John got to their feet. She heard John shake the man’s hand and she extended her hand.  He took her hand and kissed it, and Rose heard John sigh in aggravation next to her. She had to smile a little at that. 

They all sat down, and when John wasn’t holding her hand, she remembered who she was, what her job was.  She sat up straighter and folded her hands in her lap. 

‘Miss Tyler, tell us about the spirit.”

She nodded, and began the story from the beginning.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The last chapter! i'm not sure what I'll be writing next but it'll probably be another AU because I'm a hoe for them.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

The interview in itself was quite boring, but sometimes John would start to choke up a bit, thinking about his father. She reached over and touched his hand whenever he would get a bit emotional, not caring if her parents saw.  They were courting, after all, and it would be acceptable to have this form of touch. At least, she hoped so. She did not want her mother to be upset with her for touching him. 

“The spirit was my father,” John explained when the right moment came, “He wanted peace, and he…. Took is out on Miss Tyler.”

Rose patted his hand. “It is not your fault, Dr. Smith. I do wish you’d stop blaming yourself.  

The reporter was very excited to hear about this, and tried not to shake Rose’s hand several times, she could see it in the way he moved his hands.  She almost laughed several times, but bit on the inside of her lip to stop herself. 

Finally, Mr. Chesterton left, chattering happily about how wonderful the article would be.  Rose felt as though she’d met him before, perhaps he was a reporter on another one of her cases as well.  She held John’s arm as they escorted the man out, and she turned to face her parents once he was gone. 

“Well, mother, can you divide the money from the interview and give John half?”

“Oh, no, I couldn't!” John exclaimed. “I did not come here to be paid.  I would not want to take Miss Tyler’s money, she earned it. She does an excellent job.”

Rose shook her head. “No, Dr. Smith, I’d like you to have it.”

“And we’d like you to stay for dinner,” Mr. Tyler added.

John sighed, knowing he had been beaten by this clever family.  “Alright,” He admitted, “But I will really try to pay you back for it, I promise.”

********

Rose sat next to John at the table, wondering, for a moment, if this was how it would be for the rest of their lives.  Him, right next to her, as it should  _ always be.   _ Halfway through dinner, however, he pulled her out of her dream by shouting “Oh!”

“What is it?” Mrs. Tyler asked, panicked.  Rose heard John get up, saw his retreating silhouette back to the entryway.  She furrowed her brows in confusion but when she saw him running back her fears were dissuaded.

“I have brought something to treat Rose. I have worked on a cure for her blindness, well, since she became blind, really.  I would like to apply them after dinner, but I wanted to have them with me.”

Rose smiled. “You have developed something new?” She asked softly.

“Yes, Miss,” he replied, “Something a bit more advanced than the last treatment that I told you about.  It is an overnight one, I am sure I can tell Lynda what to do with them in the morning.”

“Alright.” She smiled.  “Thank you. I appreciate it, deeply, Dr. Smith.”

“Of course.”  He moved the box to the other side of the table and there was silence for a few moments as John and Rose bit their tongues. There was so much they wanted to say to each other, so much free conversation they wanted to have but could not.  

“Dr. Smith, I’ll must admit I am impressed with the research you have conducted just in an effort to return my daughter’s eyesight. It is most admirable.”  Mr. Tyler held a note of amusement in his voice as well, and Rose had to keep herself from beaming like an idiot. 

John laughed a little at that.  “Well, I am sure it is quite obvious that I am terribly fond of your daughter, Mr. Tyler.  So much so I would move a wedding to tomorrow if it meant I could spend more time with her.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Tyler said softly, “That’s sweet.”

Rose reached for John, pleased when he met her halfway, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.  Her mother crooned a little, clearly happy for her daughter. Perhaps John was growing on her as well.  

Dinner ended quite amiably, as the four of them settled into easy conversation.  Mrs. Tyler seemed far more at ease with the idea of this man courting and eventually marrying her daughter. They all retired to the library afterwards, except Mrs. Tyler, who begged exhaustion for turning in early.  

John led Rose to the library, Mr. Tyler alongside him.  John had brought along the box to apply Rose’s treatment, as Mr. Tyler had wanted to see what, exactly, it was. Rose assumed it would be something similar to what they had used before, not that she would be able to properly see it.

“We did not want to say in front of Mrs. Tyler to get her hopes up, but Miss Tyler has gained a bit of her sight back.  Enough to see shadows of people and furniture.” John helped Rose to sit on the couch in the library and perched next to her, the outline of the box sitting on his lap.  She glanced at it, liking being able to see his hands move. 

“Well, that is excellent news!” Mr. Tyler cried, “I do with I had known!”

“We couldn’t say anything, really, mum would be too worried,” Rose said, “But, Dr. Smith, if you are saying something now, it must mean that you are quite certain it will work.”

He chuckled. “I do hope so, Miss Tyler, believe me.  There is little else I wish for besides having your sight back.”

He rummaged around with the box.  “Miss Tyler, for your convenience, this is a new patch, very similar to the ones you used at my estate. They are stronger and thicker and a bit colder, so do not be surprised.  Can you lean back against the couch for me?”

“And you’re sure this is safe?” Mr. Tyler asked, nervousness lacing his voice.  

“Perfectly, I have tested the formula on my skin and eyes.”

“On your eyes?” Rose cried, alarmed.

“Yes, on my eyes, Miss Tyler.  They will see no ill effect come to you, I promise.”

She pouted in what she hoped was his direction.  “I never wanted you to test something like that on yourself.  What if you had gone blind?” 

“Miss Tyler,” he said softly, “It would have been worth it, to keep you safe.  But! Lucky for us, it did not render me blind.”

She sighed and let him push her shoulder, making her fall back against the couch.  He began applying the patches to her eyes, taping them to her face. 

“Now, Dr. Smith, how long have you studied doctoral arts?”  Mr. Tyler asked.

He hummed in the back of his throat.  “Well, I’ve never heard them called that, but I graduated about four years ago, and with my inheritance from my parents I was able to open my own practice.  There are other doctors there as well, of course.” 

“Oh, yes, well, I would assume so,” Mr. Tyler laughed.  “I must say I am very impressed with the work you have done on Rose.”

“Hm,” Rose said, which was all she could say, with the side of John’s hand against her cheek.  She wanted to reach out for him but remembered her father was there. He finished attaching them to her eyes and taping it to the skin around her eyes.  

“And in the morning, Lynda can remove them, and we will see what happens.”

Rose smiled, feeling a little silly with the cold sitting on her eyes.  “Oh, it feels very odd.”

“Wait, Dr. Smith.”  Her father shifted a bit. “What do you think about staying the night?  We have guest rooms, and I am sure it would be no trouble for Jack to go and pick something up from your estate for you to change into tomorrow.”

John shifted back from Rose. “Oh, I would not… I would not want to impose on your family.”

“We might as well get to know you, since you have taken such a keen interest in my daughter,” Mr. Tyler pointed out.  “And it seems as though she knows you quite well. So it would be quite nice to have you around a bit more.”

“I could come by tomorrow morning,” John suggested, and Rose had a feeling it was because he did not trust himself to stay in his own room should he stay the night.  She smiled a little at the thought. “I have some work to attend to at my estate.”

Mr. Tyler laughed softly. “Of course.  You are certainly a busy man. Well, you can come by as early as you wish, early enough to remove the patches from Rose if you wish.”

“I would be honored. It would probably save Lynda  bit of trouble too,” He admitted. “But then, if that is the case, I should be taking my leave. I will be back in the morning.”

“Of course.  I will see you out, Dr. Smith.”

“I would join you both, but I think it is best that I retire, lest I feel too silly with these on my eyes,” Rose laughed, blushing lightly.

John laughed as well.  “Well, you still look as lovely as ever, Miss Tyler, of that I can assure you.”  He picked up her hand and pressed a lingering kiss to the back of it. “Until the morning shall bring us together again, my dear.”

Rose nodded. “You are poetic when you leave me.”

“Only so you will think of me until the next time we meet.”  

John and her father chatted amiably all the way out of the library, and Rose grinned to herself, rather pleased that the two of them were getting along so well.  She was also pleased that he had morphed in quite well with the work that she hoped to continue to do. 

Being mostly blind was not going to stop her from experiencing the paranormal as she always had, but she hoped that John would come along with her and Jack now. It was not the ideal couple activity, but Rose found that since he was interested, it was a nice thing for them to do together.  

She stood, taking her cane in hand, and tapped her way back to her room. Once there she undressed as much as she could, feeling tired but very, very happy. It was probably for the best that John did not stay the night.  It would be difficult for her to get the rest she needed, and he had worked so hard on this new treatment.

Lynda knocked and entered several minutes later, her chipper voice welcome in the room.  The two ladies chatted for quite awhile until Rose grew weary, and Lynda helped her into bed and bid her goodnight.

The morning came quite quickly, as Rose did not spend it up all night John, and when it did she was dressed without opening her eyes underneath the patches or removing them. Lynda helped her downstairs, where John was already waiting for her.  

“Dr. Smith arrived about an hour ago. I would have woken you, but you seemed to need your sleep,” Mr. Tyler said. 

“I had a feeling he would be here,” Rose admitted.

“And how is that?” Mrs. Tyler asked, who had been filled in on the whole thing and wasn’t very fond of Dr. Smith being there in the first place.  Though she had grown familiar with him, she was still not all the way excited about the engagement. 

“I can just tell,” She said, reaching for him.  He took her hand and led her to the couch in the parlor.  “I am sorry you have to see me like this, Dr. Smith.”

“I think you’ll find that I do not mind at all,” John said, helping her to sit on the couch.  “I am quite happy to see you in general, Miss Tyler, and your parents have been delightful to me in the meantime.”  He squeezed her hand. “Are you ready for me to remove these?”

“Yes,” she said softly, knowing her parents were watching anxiously. “I am very nervous.”

“Me too,” he admitted on a whisper, and began peeling the tape from the sides of her face.  She kept her eyes squeezed close out of fear. Once the patches were removed, she winced when she felt and saw light beyond her eyes.

“Open them,” he said encouragingly.  He sounded anxious, which made a bit of sense.  He wanted this to work, after all. 

“I’m scared.”

“Me too.”

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking into the light, and felt herself start to tear up.  “Oh, goodness,” she said softly, as John’s anxious, blurry face came into view. After blinking a few more times, he started to become clearer, and she found herself laughing, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“You did it!” She said, throwing her arms around John’s neck.  He held her tight, decorum thrown firmly out the window. He was breathing hard, as though he’d been holding his breath the whole time, and maybe he had.  But this was easily the most joyous moment of both of their lives. She pulled back so she could look at him a bit closer. 

“I never thought I would see your face again,” she said softly, as he cleared up before her eyes even more.  She looked up at her parents. “He did it,” She whispered.

A collective sigh was released by all, and Rose stood and let John gather her into his arms again, before pulling from her quickly.  “Apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler!”

“No worry,” Mrs. Tyler waved her hand away, touching her hand under her eye.  “We will leave you alone for a moment, we know you will  _ maintain decency.”  _

“Of course,” John said, bowing slightly as her parents left the room, her father grinning like an absolute loon.

“And we should be married soon,” Rose said, “And I will be able to see you when we are wed.”

He looked towards the door and kissed her quickly, cupping her cheeks in his hands. “I would’ve married you either way.”

“I know,” she whispered, “But it is very nice to see you.”

Somewhere, in a far more peaceful place, John’s father breathed a sigh of relief, and Rose’s parents wept with joy.  It was truly a wonderful day to be alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to leave this ending a little open. Does John help Rose with her work? How does Jackie come around? They were questions I could answer but wasn't sure I could without it being too awkward. I hope you all enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Please Review?


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